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4 @settitle T-gnus 6.15 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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268 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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277 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
278 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
281 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
282 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
283 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
284 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
285 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
286 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
287 License'' in the Emacs manual.
289 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
290 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
291 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
293 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
294 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
295 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
296 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
304 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
306 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
308 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
309 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
310 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
311 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
312 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
313 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
314 License'' in the Emacs manual.
316 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
317 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
318 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
320 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
321 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
322 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
323 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
329 @title T-gnus 6.15 Manual
331 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
334 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
335 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
337 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
338 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
339 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
340 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
341 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
342 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
343 License'' in the Emacs manual.
345 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
346 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
347 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
349 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
350 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
351 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
352 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
361 @top The gnus Newsreader
365 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
366 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
367 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
370 T-gnus provides MIME features based on SEMI API. So T-gnus supports
371 your right to read strange messages including big images or other
372 various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
373 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
374 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
375 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
377 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.15.
388 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
389 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
391 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
392 being accused of plagiarism:
394 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
395 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
396 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
397 can even read news with it!
399 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
400 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
401 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
402 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
403 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
409 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
410 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
411 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
412 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
413 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
414 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
415 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
416 * Various:: General purpose settings.
417 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
418 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
419 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
420 * Key Index:: Key Index.
423 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
427 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
428 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
429 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
430 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
431 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
432 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
433 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
434 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
435 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
436 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
437 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
441 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
442 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
443 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
447 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
448 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
449 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
450 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
451 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
452 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
453 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
454 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
455 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
456 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
457 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
458 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
459 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
460 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
461 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
462 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
463 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
467 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
468 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
469 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
473 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
474 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
475 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
476 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
477 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
481 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
482 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
483 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
484 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
488 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
489 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
490 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
491 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
492 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
493 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
494 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
495 * Threading:: How threads are made.
496 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
497 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
498 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
499 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
500 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
501 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
502 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
503 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
504 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
505 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
506 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
507 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
508 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
509 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
510 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
511 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
512 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
513 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
514 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
515 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
516 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
518 Summary Buffer Format
520 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
521 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
522 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
523 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
527 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
528 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
530 Reply, Followup and Post
532 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
533 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
534 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
535 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
539 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
540 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
541 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
542 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
543 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
544 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
548 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
549 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
551 Customizing Threading
553 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
554 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
555 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
556 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
560 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
561 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
562 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
563 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
564 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
565 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
569 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
570 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
571 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
575 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
576 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
577 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
578 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
579 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
580 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
581 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
582 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
584 Alternative Approaches
586 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
587 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
589 Various Summary Stuff
591 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
592 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
593 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
594 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
598 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
599 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
600 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
601 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
602 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
606 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
607 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
608 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
609 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
610 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
611 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
612 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
613 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
617 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
618 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
619 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
620 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
621 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
622 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
623 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
627 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
628 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
629 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
630 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
631 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
632 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
633 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
637 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
638 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
642 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
643 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
644 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
645 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
646 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
647 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
648 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
649 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
650 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
651 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
652 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
653 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
654 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
658 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
659 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
660 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
662 Choosing a Mail Backend
664 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
665 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
666 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
667 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
668 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
669 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
673 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
674 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
675 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
676 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
677 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
678 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
682 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
683 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
684 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
685 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
686 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
687 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
691 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
695 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
696 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
697 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
701 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
702 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
703 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
707 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
708 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
712 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
713 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
714 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
715 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
716 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
717 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
718 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
719 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
720 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
721 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
725 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
726 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
727 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
731 * Group Agent Commands::
732 * Summary Agent Commands::
733 * Server Agent Commands::
737 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
738 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
739 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
740 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
741 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
742 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
743 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
744 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
745 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
746 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
747 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
748 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
749 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
750 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
751 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
752 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
756 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
757 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
758 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
759 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
763 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
764 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
765 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
769 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
770 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
771 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
772 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
773 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
774 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
775 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
776 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
777 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
778 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
779 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
780 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
781 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
782 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
783 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
784 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
785 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
786 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
790 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
791 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
792 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
793 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
794 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
798 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
799 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
800 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
801 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
805 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
806 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
807 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
808 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
809 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
813 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
814 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
815 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
816 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
817 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
818 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
819 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
820 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
824 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
825 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
826 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
827 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
828 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
829 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
830 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
831 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
832 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
836 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
837 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
838 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
839 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
840 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
844 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
845 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
846 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
847 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
851 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
852 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
853 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
854 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
855 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
856 * Group Info:: The group info format.
857 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
858 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
859 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
863 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
864 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
865 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
866 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
867 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
868 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
872 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
873 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
877 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
878 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
884 @chapter Starting gnus
889 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
890 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
893 @findex gnus-other-frame
894 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
895 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
896 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
898 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
899 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
900 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
902 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
903 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
906 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
907 * The First Time:: What does gnus do the first time you start it?
908 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
909 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one gnus active at a time.
910 * Fetching a Group:: Starting gnus just to read a group.
911 * New Groups:: What is gnus supposed to do with new groups?
912 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
913 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
914 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
915 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
916 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
920 @node Finding the News
921 @section Finding the News
924 @vindex gnus-select-method
926 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
927 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
928 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
929 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
932 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
933 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
936 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
939 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
942 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
945 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
946 certainly be much faster.
948 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
950 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
951 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
952 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
953 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
954 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
955 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
957 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
958 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
959 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
960 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
962 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
963 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
964 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
965 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
966 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
967 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
968 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
969 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
970 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
973 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
975 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
976 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
977 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
978 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
979 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
980 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
982 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
984 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
985 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
986 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
987 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
988 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
989 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
992 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
993 would typically set this variable to
996 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1000 @node The First Time
1001 @section The First Time
1002 @cindex first time usage
1004 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1005 be subscribed by default.
1007 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1008 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1009 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1010 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1013 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1014 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1015 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1017 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1018 help you with most common problems.
1020 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1021 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1025 @node The Server is Down
1026 @section The Server is Down
1027 @cindex server errors
1029 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1030 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1031 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1033 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1034 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1035 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1036 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1037 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1038 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1039 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1041 @findex gnus-no-server
1042 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1044 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1045 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1046 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1047 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1048 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1049 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1050 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1054 @section Slave Gnusae
1057 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1058 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1059 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1060 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1062 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1063 @code{.newsrc} file.
1065 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1066 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1067 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1068 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1069 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1070 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1071 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1073 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1074 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1075 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1076 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1077 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1078 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1079 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1080 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1082 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1083 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1086 @node Fetching a Group
1087 @section Fetching a Group
1088 @cindex fetching a group
1090 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1091 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1092 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1093 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1094 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1095 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1101 @cindex subscription
1103 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1104 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1105 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1106 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1107 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1108 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1109 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1110 @code{always}, then gnus will query the backends for new groups even
1111 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1114 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1115 * Subscription Methods:: What gnus should do with new groups.
1116 * Filtering New Groups:: Making gnus ignore certain new groups.
1120 @node Checking New Groups
1121 @subsection Checking New Groups
1123 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1124 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1125 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1126 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1127 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1128 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1129 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1130 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1131 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1132 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1134 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1135 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1136 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1137 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1138 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1139 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1140 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1141 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1142 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1143 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1144 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1146 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1147 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1148 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1149 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1150 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1151 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1154 @node Subscription Methods
1155 @subsection Subscription Methods
1157 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1158 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1159 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1161 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1162 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1164 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1168 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1169 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1170 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1171 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1172 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1174 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1175 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1176 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1177 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1179 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1180 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1181 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1183 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1184 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1185 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1186 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1187 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1188 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1189 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1190 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1191 up. Or something like that.
1193 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1194 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1195 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1196 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1197 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1199 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1200 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1201 Kill all new groups.
1203 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1204 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1205 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1206 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1207 topic parameter that looks like
1213 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1216 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1221 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1222 A closely related variable is
1223 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1224 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1225 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1226 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1229 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1230 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1231 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1232 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1235 @node Filtering New Groups
1236 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1238 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1239 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1240 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1243 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1246 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1247 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1248 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1249 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1250 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1251 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1252 subscribing these groups.
1253 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1254 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1256 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1257 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1258 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1259 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1260 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1261 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1262 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1263 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1265 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1266 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1267 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1268 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1269 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1270 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1271 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1272 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1273 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1274 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1276 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1277 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1280 @node Changing Servers
1281 @section Changing Servers
1282 @cindex changing servers
1284 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1285 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1286 very flaky and you want to use another.
1288 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1289 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1293 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1294 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1295 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1296 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1299 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1300 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1301 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1302 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1304 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1305 @findex gnus-change-server
1306 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1307 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1308 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1309 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1310 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1312 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1313 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1314 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1315 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1316 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1318 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1319 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1320 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1321 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1322 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1323 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1325 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1326 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1327 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1331 @section Startup Files
1332 @cindex startup files
1337 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1338 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1340 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1341 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1342 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1343 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1344 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1345 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1346 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1348 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1349 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1350 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1351 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1352 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1353 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1355 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1356 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1357 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1358 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1359 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1360 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1361 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1362 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1363 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1364 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1366 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1367 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1368 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1369 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1370 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1371 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1372 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1373 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1374 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1375 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1376 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1377 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1379 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1380 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1381 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1382 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1384 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1385 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1386 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1387 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1388 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1389 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1390 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1391 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1392 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1393 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1396 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1397 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1399 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1400 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1403 @vindex gnus-init-file
1404 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1405 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1406 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1407 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1408 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1409 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1410 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1411 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1412 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1418 @cindex dribble file
1421 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1422 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1423 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1424 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1425 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1428 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1429 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1432 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1433 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1434 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1436 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1437 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1438 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1439 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1440 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1441 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1443 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1444 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1445 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1448 @node The Active File
1449 @section The Active File
1451 @cindex ignored groups
1453 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1454 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1455 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1457 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1458 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1459 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1460 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1461 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1462 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1463 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1466 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1467 @c if you set it to anything else.
1469 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1471 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1472 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1473 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1475 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1476 you actually subscribe to.
1478 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1479 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1480 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1481 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1483 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1484 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1485 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1486 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1487 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1488 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1490 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1491 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1492 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1495 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1496 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1497 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1498 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1499 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1500 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1502 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1503 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1505 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1506 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1508 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1509 secondary select methods.
1512 @node Startup Variables
1513 @section Startup Variables
1517 @item gnus-load-hook
1518 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1519 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1520 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1521 times you start gnus.
1523 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1524 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1525 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1527 @item gnus-startup-hook
1528 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1529 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1531 @item gnus-started-hook
1532 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1533 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1536 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1537 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1538 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1539 generating the group buffer.
1541 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1542 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1543 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1544 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1545 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1546 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1547 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1548 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1550 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1551 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1552 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1553 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1554 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1555 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1557 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1558 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1559 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1561 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1562 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1563 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1565 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1566 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1567 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1568 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1574 @chapter Group Buffer
1575 @cindex group buffer
1577 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1578 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1579 long as gnus is active.
1583 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1584 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1585 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1586 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1587 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1588 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1589 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1590 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1596 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1597 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1598 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1599 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1600 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1601 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1602 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1603 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1604 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1605 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1606 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1607 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1608 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1609 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1610 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1611 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1612 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1616 @node Group Buffer Format
1617 @section Group Buffer Format
1620 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1621 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1622 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1626 @node Group Line Specification
1627 @subsection Group Line Specification
1628 @cindex group buffer format
1630 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1631 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1633 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1636 25: news.announce.newusers
1637 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1642 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1643 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1644 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1645 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1647 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1648 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1649 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1650 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1651 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1652 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1654 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1656 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1657 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1658 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1659 never examined by gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1662 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1663 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1664 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1666 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1671 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1674 Whether the group is subscribed.
1677 Level of subscribedness.
1680 Number of unread articles.
1683 Number of dormant articles.
1686 Number of ticked articles.
1689 Number of read articles.
1692 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1693 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1696 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1699 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1708 Newsgroup description.
1711 @samp{m} if moderated.
1714 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1723 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1727 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1730 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1731 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1732 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1733 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1734 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1737 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1739 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1743 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1746 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1750 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1751 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1752 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1753 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1754 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1755 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1760 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1761 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1762 group, or a bogus native group.
1765 @node Group Modeline Specification
1766 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1767 @cindex group modeline
1769 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1770 The mode line can be changed by setting
1771 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1772 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1776 The native news server.
1778 The native select method.
1782 @node Group Highlighting
1783 @subsection Group Highlighting
1784 @cindex highlighting
1785 @cindex group highlighting
1787 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1788 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1789 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1790 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1791 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1793 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1797 (cond (window-system
1798 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1799 (defface my-group-face-1
1800 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1801 (defface my-group-face-2
1802 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1803 (defface my-group-face-3
1804 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1805 (defface my-group-face-4
1806 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1807 (defface my-group-face-5
1808 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1810 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1811 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1812 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1813 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1814 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1815 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1818 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1820 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1827 The number of unread articles in the group.
1831 Whether the group is a mail group.
1833 The level of the group.
1835 The score of the group.
1837 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1839 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1840 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1842 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1843 topic being inserted.
1846 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1847 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1848 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1850 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1851 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1852 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1853 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1854 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1857 @node Group Maneuvering
1858 @section Group Maneuvering
1859 @cindex group movement
1861 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1862 expected, hopefully.
1868 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1869 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1870 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1876 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1877 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1878 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1882 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1883 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1887 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1888 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1892 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1893 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1894 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1898 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1899 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1900 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1903 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1909 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1910 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1911 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1916 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1917 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1918 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1922 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1923 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1924 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1927 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1928 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1929 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1930 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1934 @node Selecting a Group
1935 @section Selecting a Group
1936 @cindex group selection
1941 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1942 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1943 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1944 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1945 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1946 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1947 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1948 determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1949 positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1950 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
1952 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
1953 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
1954 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
1956 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
1957 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
1962 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1963 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1964 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1965 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1966 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1970 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1971 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1972 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1973 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1974 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1975 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1976 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1977 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1978 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1979 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1982 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1983 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1984 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1985 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1986 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1989 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1990 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1991 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1992 doing any processing of its contents
1993 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1994 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1995 manner will have no permanent effects.
1999 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2000 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
2001 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2002 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2003 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2004 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2005 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2006 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2009 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2010 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2011 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
2012 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2017 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
2018 full summary buffer.
2021 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
2024 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
2029 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2030 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
2031 Useful functions include:
2034 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
2035 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
2036 don't select the article.
2038 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
2039 Select the first unread article.
2041 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
2042 Select the highest-scored unread article.
2046 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2047 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
2048 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2052 @node Subscription Commands
2053 @section Subscription Commands
2054 @cindex subscription
2062 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2063 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2064 Toggle subscription to the current group
2065 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2071 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2072 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2073 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2074 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2080 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2081 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2082 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2088 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2089 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2092 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2093 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2094 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2095 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2096 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2102 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2103 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2107 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2108 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2111 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2112 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2113 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2114 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2115 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2116 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2117 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2118 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2119 @file{.newsrc} file.
2123 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2133 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2134 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2135 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2136 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2137 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2138 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2143 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2144 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2145 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2149 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2150 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2151 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2153 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2154 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2155 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2156 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2157 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2158 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2165 @section Group Levels
2169 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2170 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2171 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2172 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2173 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2175 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2181 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2182 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2183 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2184 prompted for a level.
2187 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2188 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2189 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2190 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2191 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2192 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2193 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2194 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2195 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2196 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2197 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2198 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2199 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2200 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2201 reasons of efficiency.
2203 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2204 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2206 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2207 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2208 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2209 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2210 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2211 groups are hidden, in a way.
2213 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2214 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2215 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2216 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2217 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2218 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2220 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2221 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2222 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2223 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2224 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2225 list of killed groups.)
2227 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2228 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2229 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2231 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2232 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2233 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2234 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2235 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2236 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2237 relevant valid ranges.
2239 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2240 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2241 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2242 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2243 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2244 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2247 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2248 one with the best level.
2250 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2251 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2252 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2255 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2256 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2257 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2258 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2261 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2262 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2263 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2264 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2266 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2267 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2268 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2269 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2270 to 5. The default is 6.
2274 @section Group Score
2279 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2280 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2281 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2284 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2285 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2286 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2287 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2288 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2289 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2290 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2291 least significant part.))
2293 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2294 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2295 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2296 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2297 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2298 action after each summary exit, you can add
2299 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2300 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2301 slow things down somewhat.
2304 @node Marking Groups
2305 @section Marking Groups
2306 @cindex marking groups
2308 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2309 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2310 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2311 bidding on those groups.
2313 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2314 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2315 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2323 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2324 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2330 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2331 Remove the mark from the current group
2332 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2336 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2337 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2341 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2342 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2346 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2347 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2351 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2352 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2353 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2356 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2358 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2359 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2360 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2361 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2362 the command to be executed.
2365 @node Foreign Groups
2366 @section Foreign Groups
2367 @cindex foreign groups
2369 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2370 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2371 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2372 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2379 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2380 @cindex making groups
2381 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2382 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2383 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2387 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2388 @cindex renaming groups
2389 Rename the current group to something else
2390 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2391 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2397 @findex gnus-group-customize
2398 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2402 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2403 @cindex renaming groups
2404 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2405 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2409 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2410 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2411 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2415 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2416 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2417 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2421 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2423 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2424 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2429 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2430 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2434 @cindex (ding) archive
2435 @cindex archive group
2436 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2437 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2438 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2439 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2440 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2441 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2442 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2446 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2448 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2449 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2450 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2451 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2455 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2457 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2458 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2459 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2463 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2464 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2466 Make a group based on some file or other
2467 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2468 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2469 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
2470 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
2471 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
2472 If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2473 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2477 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2478 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2479 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2480 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2484 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2489 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2490 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2491 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2492 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2493 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2494 @xref{Web Searches}.
2496 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2497 to a particular group by using a match string like
2498 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2501 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2502 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2503 This function will delete the current group
2504 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2505 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2506 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2507 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2508 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2512 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2513 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2514 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2518 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2519 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2520 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2523 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2526 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2527 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2528 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2529 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2530 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2531 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2535 @node Group Parameters
2536 @section Group Parameters
2537 @cindex group parameters
2539 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2540 Here's an example group parameter list:
2543 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2547 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2548 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2549 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2550 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2552 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2553 is an alist of regexps and values.
2555 The following group parameters can be used:
2560 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2563 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2566 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2567 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2568 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2569 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2570 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2572 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2573 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2574 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2575 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2576 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2577 list address instead.
2579 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2583 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2586 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2589 It is totally ignored
2590 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2591 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2593 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2594 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2595 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2596 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2597 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2599 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2600 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2601 sending the message.
2603 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2607 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2608 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2609 of whether it has any unread articles.
2611 @item broken-reply-to
2612 @cindex broken-reply-to
2613 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2614 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2615 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2616 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2617 broken behavior. So there!
2621 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2622 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2626 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2627 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2628 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2633 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2634 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2635 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2636 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2637 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2638 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2639 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2643 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2644 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2645 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2647 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2650 @cindex total-expire
2651 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2652 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2653 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2654 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2657 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2661 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2662 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2663 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2664 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2665 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2666 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2669 @cindex score file group parameter
2670 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2671 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2672 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2675 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2676 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2677 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2678 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2681 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2682 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2683 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2684 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2687 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2688 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2692 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2695 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2700 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2701 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2702 gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2706 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2707 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2708 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2710 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2712 @item ignored-charsets
2713 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-known iso-8859-1)}
2714 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2715 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2717 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2720 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2721 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2722 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2723 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2724 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2726 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2727 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2728 like this in the group parameters:
2733 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2737 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2738 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2739 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2740 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2741 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2743 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2744 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2745 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2746 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2747 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2748 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2749 @code{eval}ed there.
2751 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2752 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2753 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2754 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2755 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2759 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2760 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2761 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2762 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2763 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2766 @node Listing Groups
2767 @section Listing Groups
2768 @cindex group listing
2770 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2778 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2779 List all groups that have unread articles
2780 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2781 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2782 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2783 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2790 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2791 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2792 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2793 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2794 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2795 unsubscribed groups).
2799 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2800 List all unread groups on a specific level
2801 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2802 with no unread articles.
2806 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2807 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2808 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2809 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2814 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2815 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2819 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2820 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2821 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2825 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2826 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2830 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2831 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2832 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2833 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2834 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2835 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2836 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2837 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2841 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2842 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2843 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2847 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2848 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2849 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2853 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
2854 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
2858 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
2859 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
2863 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
2864 List groups limited within the current selection
2865 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
2869 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
2870 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
2874 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
2875 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
2879 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2880 @cindex visible group parameter
2881 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2882 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2883 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2884 get the same effect.
2886 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2887 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2888 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2889 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2890 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2893 @node Sorting Groups
2894 @section Sorting Groups
2895 @cindex sorting groups
2897 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2898 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2899 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2900 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2901 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2902 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2907 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2908 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2909 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2911 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2912 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2913 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2915 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2916 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2917 Sort by group level.
2919 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2920 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2921 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2923 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2924 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2925 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2926 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2928 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2929 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2930 Sort by number of unread articles.
2932 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2933 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2934 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2936 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
2937 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
2938 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
2943 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2944 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2948 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2949 some sorting criteria:
2953 @kindex G S a (Group)
2954 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2955 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2956 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2959 @kindex G S u (Group)
2960 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2961 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2962 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2965 @kindex G S l (Group)
2966 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2967 Sort the group buffer by group level
2968 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2971 @kindex G S v (Group)
2972 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2973 Sort the group buffer by group score
2974 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2977 @kindex G S r (Group)
2978 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2979 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2980 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2983 @kindex G S m (Group)
2984 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2985 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2986 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2990 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
2991 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2993 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
2994 commands will sort in reverse order.
2996 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3000 @kindex G P a (Group)
3001 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3002 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3003 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3006 @kindex G P u (Group)
3007 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3008 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3009 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3012 @kindex G P l (Group)
3013 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3014 Sort the groups by group level
3015 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3018 @kindex G P v (Group)
3019 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3020 Sort the groups by group score
3021 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3024 @kindex G P r (Group)
3025 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3026 Sort the groups by group rank
3027 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3030 @kindex G P m (Group)
3031 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3032 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
3033 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3037 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3041 @node Group Maintenance
3042 @section Group Maintenance
3043 @cindex bogus groups
3048 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3049 Find bogus groups and delete them
3050 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3054 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3055 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3056 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3057 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3058 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3062 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3063 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3064 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3065 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3066 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3067 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3070 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
3071 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3072 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3073 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3078 @node Browse Foreign Server
3079 @section Browse Foreign Server
3080 @cindex foreign servers
3081 @cindex browsing servers
3086 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3087 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3088 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3089 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3092 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3093 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3094 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3095 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3097 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3102 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3103 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3107 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3108 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3111 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3112 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3113 Enter the current group and display the first article
3114 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3117 @kindex RET (Browse)
3118 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3119 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3123 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3124 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3125 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3131 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3132 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3136 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3137 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3138 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3143 @section Exiting gnus
3144 @cindex exiting gnus
3146 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3151 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3152 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3153 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3154 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3158 @findex gnus-group-exit
3159 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3160 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3164 @findex gnus-group-quit
3165 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3166 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3169 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3170 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3171 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3172 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3173 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3178 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3179 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3180 trying to customize meta-variables.
3185 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3186 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3187 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3193 @section Group Topics
3196 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3197 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3198 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3199 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3200 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3201 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3205 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3206 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
3217 2: alt.religion.emacs
3220 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3222 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3223 13: comp.sources.unix
3226 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3228 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3229 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3230 is a toggling command.)
3232 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3233 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
3234 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3235 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3238 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3239 the hook for the group mode:
3242 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3246 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3247 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3248 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3249 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3250 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3254 @node Topic Variables
3255 @subsection Topic Variables
3256 @cindex topic variables
3258 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
3259 really neat, I think.
3261 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3262 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3263 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3276 Number of groups in the topic.
3278 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3280 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3283 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3284 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3285 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3288 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3289 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3291 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3292 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3293 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3296 @node Topic Commands
3297 @subsection Topic Commands
3298 @cindex topic commands
3300 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3301 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3302 definitions slightly.
3308 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3309 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3310 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3314 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3315 Move the current group to some other topic
3316 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3317 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3321 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3322 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3326 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3327 Copy the current group to some other topic
3328 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3329 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3333 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3334 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3335 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3339 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3340 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3341 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3345 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3346 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3347 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3348 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3349 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3350 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3351 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3354 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3355 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3359 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3360 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3361 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3365 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3366 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3367 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3371 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3372 Toggle hiding empty topics
3373 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3377 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3378 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3379 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3382 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3383 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3384 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3385 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3389 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3391 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3392 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3393 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3394 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3397 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3398 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3399 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3400 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3404 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3406 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3407 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3408 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3409 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3410 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3411 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3414 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3415 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3416 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3417 expiry process (if any)
3418 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3422 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3423 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3424 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3428 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3429 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3430 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3435 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3436 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3439 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3440 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3441 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3445 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3446 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3447 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3451 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3452 @cindex group parameters
3453 @cindex topic parameters
3455 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3456 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3462 @subsection Topic Sorting
3463 @cindex topic sorting
3465 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3471 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3472 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3473 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3474 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3477 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3478 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3479 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3480 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3483 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3484 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3485 Sort the current topic by group level
3486 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3489 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3490 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3491 Sort the current topic by group score
3492 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3495 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3496 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3497 Sort the current topic by group rank
3498 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3501 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3502 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3503 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
3504 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3508 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3511 @node Topic Topology
3512 @subsection Topic Topology
3513 @cindex topic topology
3516 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3522 2: alt.religion.emacs
3525 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3527 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3528 13: comp.sources.unix
3531 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3532 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3533 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3538 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3539 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3543 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3544 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3545 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3546 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3547 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3548 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3550 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3551 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3552 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3555 @node Topic Parameters
3556 @subsection Topic Parameters
3557 @cindex topic parameters
3559 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3560 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3561 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3563 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3568 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3569 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3570 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3575 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3576 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3577 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3578 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3584 2: alt.religion.emacs
3588 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3590 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3591 13: comp.sources.unix
3595 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3596 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3597 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3598 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3599 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3600 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3602 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3603 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3604 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3605 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3606 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3608 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3609 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3610 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3611 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3612 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3613 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3614 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3615 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3618 @node Misc Group Stuff
3619 @section Misc Group Stuff
3622 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3623 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and gnus.
3624 * Group Timestamp:: Making gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3625 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the gnus files.
3632 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3633 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3634 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3638 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3639 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3640 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3644 @findex gnus-group-mail
3645 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3649 Variables for the group buffer:
3653 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3654 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3655 is called after the group buffer has been
3658 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3659 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3660 is called after the group buffer is
3661 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3664 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3665 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3666 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3667 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3669 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3670 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3671 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3672 whether they are empty or not.
3674 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3675 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3676 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3677 non-ASCII group names.
3681 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3682 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3685 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3686 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3687 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
3688 It is used to show non-ASCII group names.
3692 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3693 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3698 @node Scanning New Messages
3699 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3700 @cindex new messages
3701 @cindex scanning new news
3707 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3708 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3709 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3710 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3711 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3712 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3717 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3718 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3719 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3720 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3721 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3722 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3723 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3725 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3726 @cindex activating groups
3728 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3729 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3734 @findex gnus-group-restart
3735 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3736 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3737 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
3741 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3742 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3744 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3745 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3749 @node Group Information
3750 @subsection Group Information
3751 @cindex group information
3752 @cindex information on groups
3759 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3760 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3763 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3764 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3765 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3766 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3767 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3768 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3769 for fetching the file.
3771 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
3772 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3776 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3778 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3779 @cindex describing groups
3780 @cindex group description
3781 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3782 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3783 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3787 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3788 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3789 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3796 @findex gnus-version
3797 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3801 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3802 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3805 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3808 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3809 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3813 @node Group Timestamp
3814 @subsection Group Timestamp
3816 @cindex group timestamps
3818 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
3819 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3820 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3823 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3826 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3828 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3829 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3832 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3833 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3836 This will result in lines looking like:
3839 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3840 0: custom 19961002T012713
3843 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3844 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3848 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3849 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3854 @subsection File Commands
3855 @cindex file commands
3861 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3862 @vindex gnus-init-file
3863 @cindex reading init file
3864 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3865 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3869 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3870 @cindex saving .newsrc
3871 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3872 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3873 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3876 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3877 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3878 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3883 @node Summary Buffer
3884 @chapter Summary Buffer
3885 @cindex summary buffer
3887 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3888 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3890 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3891 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3893 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3896 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3897 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3898 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3899 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3900 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3901 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3902 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3903 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3904 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3905 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3906 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3907 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3908 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3909 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3910 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3911 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3912 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3913 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
3914 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3915 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3916 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3917 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3918 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3919 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3920 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3921 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
3922 or reselecting the current group.
3923 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3924 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3925 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
3929 @node Summary Buffer Format
3930 @section Summary Buffer Format
3931 @cindex summary buffer format
3935 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3936 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3937 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3943 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3944 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3945 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3946 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3949 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3950 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3951 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3952 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3953 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3954 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
3955 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3956 fast, and too simplistic solution;
3957 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
3958 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
3959 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
3960 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
3961 other function instead:
3964 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3965 'mail-extract-address-components)
3968 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3969 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3970 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3971 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3974 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3975 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3977 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3978 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3979 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3980 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3981 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3983 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
3984 the colon after performing an operation.
3986 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3988 The following format specification characters are understood:
3994 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
3995 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
3997 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3998 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3999 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4001 Full @code{From} header.
4003 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4005 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
4006 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
4008 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4009 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4010 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4011 may be more thorough.
4013 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4016 Number of lines in the article.
4018 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
4019 methods (like nnfolder).
4021 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4023 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4024 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4026 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4027 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4029 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4030 for adopted articles.
4032 One space for each thread level.
4034 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4039 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4040 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4044 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4046 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4047 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4048 default level. If the difference between
4049 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4050 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4058 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4060 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4066 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4067 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4069 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4070 article has any children.
4076 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4077 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4078 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4079 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4080 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4081 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4084 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4085 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4086 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4087 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4088 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4089 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4091 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4092 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4094 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4097 @node To From Newsgroups
4098 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4102 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4103 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4104 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4105 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4106 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4110 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4111 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4112 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4116 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4117 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4120 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4121 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4124 @findex gnus-extra-header
4125 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4126 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4127 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4130 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4134 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4135 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4136 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4137 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4138 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4139 headers are used instead.
4143 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4144 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4145 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4146 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4149 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4150 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4151 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4152 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4154 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4158 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4160 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4161 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4162 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
4163 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4167 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4168 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4175 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4176 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4179 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4180 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4182 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4183 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4184 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4185 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4187 Here are the elements you can play with:
4193 Unprefixed group name.
4195 Current article number.
4197 Current article score.
4201 Number of unread articles in this group.
4203 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4206 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4207 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4208 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4209 and no unselected ones.
4211 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4212 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4214 Subject of the current article.
4216 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4218 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4220 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4222 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4224 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4226 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4230 @node Summary Highlighting
4231 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4235 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4236 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4237 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4238 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4239 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4241 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4242 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4243 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4244 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4246 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4247 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4248 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4249 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4251 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4252 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4253 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4254 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4255 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4256 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4259 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4260 ((> score default) . bold))
4262 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4263 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4267 @node Summary Maneuvering
4268 @section Summary Maneuvering
4269 @cindex summary movement
4271 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4272 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4274 None of these commands select articles.
4279 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4280 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4281 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4282 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4283 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4287 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4288 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4289 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4290 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4291 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4294 @kindex G g (Summary)
4295 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4296 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4297 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4300 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4301 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4302 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4303 to the group buffer.
4305 Variables related to summary movement:
4309 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4310 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4311 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4312 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4313 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4314 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4315 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4316 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4317 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
4318 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4319 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4320 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4321 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4322 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4324 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4325 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4326 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4327 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4328 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4329 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4330 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4332 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4334 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4335 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4336 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4337 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4338 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4340 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4341 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4342 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4343 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4344 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4345 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4346 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4347 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4350 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4351 the given number of lines from the top.
4356 @node Choosing Articles
4357 @section Choosing Articles
4358 @cindex selecting articles
4361 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4362 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4366 @node Choosing Commands
4367 @subsection Choosing Commands
4369 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4370 and they all select and display an article.
4372 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4373 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4377 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4378 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4379 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4380 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4385 @kindex G n (Summary)
4386 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4387 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4388 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4393 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4394 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4395 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4400 @kindex G N (Summary)
4401 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4402 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4407 @kindex G P (Summary)
4408 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4409 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4412 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4413 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4414 Go to the next article with the same subject
4415 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4418 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4419 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4420 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4421 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4425 @kindex G f (Summary)
4427 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4428 Go to the first unread article
4429 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4433 @kindex G b (Summary)
4435 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4436 Go to the article with the highest score
4437 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
4442 @kindex G l (Summary)
4443 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4444 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4447 @kindex G o (Summary)
4448 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4450 @cindex article history
4451 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4452 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4453 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4454 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4455 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4456 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4461 @kindex G j (Summary)
4462 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4463 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4464 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4469 @node Choosing Variables
4470 @subsection Choosing Variables
4472 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4475 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4476 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4477 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4478 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4479 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4480 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4482 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4483 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4484 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4485 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4487 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4488 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4489 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4490 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4491 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4492 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4493 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4494 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4495 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4496 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4497 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4498 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4499 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4500 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4505 @node Paging the Article
4506 @section Scrolling the Article
4507 @cindex article scrolling
4512 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4513 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4514 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4515 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4516 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4519 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4520 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4521 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4524 @kindex RET (Summary)
4525 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4526 Scroll the current article one line forward
4527 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4530 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4531 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4532 Scroll the current article one line backward
4533 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4537 @kindex A g (Summary)
4539 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4540 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4541 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4542 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4543 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4544 the way it came from the server.
4546 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4547 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4548 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4551 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4556 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4561 @kindex A < (Summary)
4562 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4563 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4564 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4569 @kindex A > (Summary)
4570 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4571 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4575 @kindex A s (Summary)
4577 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4578 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4579 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4583 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4584 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4589 @node Reply Followup and Post
4590 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4593 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4594 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4595 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4596 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
4600 @node Summary Mail Commands
4601 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4603 @cindex composing mail
4605 Commands for composing a mail message:
4611 @kindex S r (Summary)
4613 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4614 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4615 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4616 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4617 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4622 @kindex S R (Summary)
4623 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4624 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4625 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4626 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4627 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4630 @kindex S w (Summary)
4631 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4632 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4633 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4634 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4635 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4638 @kindex S W (Summary)
4639 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4640 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4641 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4642 the process/prefix convention.
4645 @kindex S v (Summary)
4646 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
4647 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
4648 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
4649 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4650 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
4651 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
4654 @kindex S W (Summary)
4655 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4656 Mail a very wide reply to the current article and include the original
4657 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4658 the process/prefix convention.
4662 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4663 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
4664 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4665 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4666 Forward the current article to some other person
4667 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4668 headers of the forwarded article.
4673 @kindex S m (Summary)
4674 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4675 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4676 Send a mail to some other person
4677 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
4680 @kindex S D b (Summary)
4681 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
4682 @cindex bouncing mail
4683 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
4684 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
4685 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
4686 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
4687 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
4688 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
4689 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
4690 very well fail, though.
4693 @kindex S D r (Summary)
4694 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
4695 Not to be confused with the previous command,
4696 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
4697 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4698 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4699 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4700 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4701 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4702 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4704 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4705 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4706 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4707 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4708 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
4710 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4711 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4714 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4715 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
4716 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4717 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
4718 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4721 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4722 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4723 @cindex crossposting
4724 @cindex excessive crossposting
4725 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4726 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4728 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4729 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4730 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4731 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4732 command understands the process/prefix convention
4733 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4737 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4740 @node Summary Post Commands
4741 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4743 @cindex composing news
4745 Commands for posting a news article:
4751 @kindex S p (Summary)
4752 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4753 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4754 Post an article to the current group
4755 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4760 @kindex S f (Summary)
4761 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4762 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4763 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4767 @kindex S F (Summary)
4769 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4770 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4771 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4772 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4773 process/prefix convention.
4776 @kindex S n (Summary)
4777 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4778 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4779 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4782 @kindex S N (Summary)
4783 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4784 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4785 message through mail and include the original message
4786 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4787 the process/prefix convention.
4790 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4791 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4792 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4793 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4794 headers of the forwarded article.
4797 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4798 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
4800 @cindex making digests
4801 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4802 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
4803 process/prefix convention.
4806 @kindex S u (Summary)
4807 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4808 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4809 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4810 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4813 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4816 @node Summary Message Commands
4817 @subsection Summary Message Commands
4821 @kindex S y (Summary)
4822 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
4823 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
4824 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
4825 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
4826 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4831 @node Canceling and Superseding
4832 @subsection Canceling Articles
4833 @cindex canceling articles
4834 @cindex superseding articles
4836 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4837 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4839 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4841 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4843 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4844 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4845 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4846 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4847 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4848 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4850 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4851 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4854 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4855 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4856 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4858 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4859 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4860 your original article.
4862 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4864 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4865 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4866 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4869 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4870 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4871 have posted almost the same article twice.
4873 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4874 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4875 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4876 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4877 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4878 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4879 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4880 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4881 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4882 canceled/superseded.
4884 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4887 @node Marking Articles
4888 @section Marking Articles
4889 @cindex article marking
4890 @cindex article ticking
4893 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4895 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4896 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4897 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4899 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4902 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4903 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4904 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4908 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4912 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4913 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
4914 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4918 @node Unread Articles
4919 @subsection Unread Articles
4921 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4926 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4927 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4929 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4930 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4931 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4932 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
4933 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
4934 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
4935 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
4938 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4939 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4941 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4942 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4943 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4944 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
4948 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4949 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4951 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4956 @subsection Read Articles
4957 @cindex expirable mark
4959 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4964 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4965 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4966 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4969 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4970 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4973 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4974 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4975 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4978 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4979 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4982 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4983 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4986 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4987 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4990 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4991 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
4994 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
4995 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
4998 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
4999 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5002 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5003 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5007 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5008 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5009 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5013 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5014 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5016 One more special mark, though:
5020 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5021 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5023 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5024 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5025 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5026 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5032 @subsection Other Marks
5033 @cindex process mark
5036 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5042 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5043 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5044 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5045 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5046 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5049 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5050 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5051 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5052 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5054 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5055 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{O} in
5056 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5059 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5060 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5061 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5064 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5065 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5066 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5067 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5070 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5071 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5072 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5073 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5074 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5077 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5078 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5079 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5080 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5081 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5082 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5086 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5087 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5088 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5090 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5091 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5092 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5096 @subsection Setting Marks
5097 @cindex setting marks
5099 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5104 @kindex M c (Summary)
5105 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5106 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5107 @cindex mark as unread
5108 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5109 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5115 @kindex M t (Summary)
5116 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5117 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5118 @xref{Article Caching}.
5123 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5124 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5125 Mark the current article as dormant
5126 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5130 @kindex M d (Summary)
5132 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5133 Mark the current article as read
5134 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5138 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5139 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5140 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5145 @kindex M k (Summary)
5146 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5147 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5148 and then select the next unread article
5149 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5153 @kindex M K (Summary)
5154 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5155 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5156 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5157 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5160 @kindex M C (Summary)
5161 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5162 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5163 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5166 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5167 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5168 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5169 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5172 @kindex M H (Summary)
5173 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5174 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5175 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5178 @kindex M h (Summary)
5179 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5180 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5181 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5184 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5185 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5186 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5187 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5190 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5191 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5192 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5193 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5197 @kindex M e (Summary)
5199 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5200 Mark the current article as expirable
5201 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5204 @kindex M b (Summary)
5205 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5206 Set a bookmark in the current article
5207 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5210 @kindex M B (Summary)
5211 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5212 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5213 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5216 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5217 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5218 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5219 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5222 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5223 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5224 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5225 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5228 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5229 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5230 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5231 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5232 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5235 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5236 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5237 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5238 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5239 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5240 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5241 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5242 The default is @code{t}.
5245 @node Generic Marking Commands
5246 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5248 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5249 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5250 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5251 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5252 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5255 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5256 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5259 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5260 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5261 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5262 to list in this manual.
5264 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5265 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5266 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5267 article, you could say something like:
5270 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5271 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5272 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5278 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5279 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5283 @node Setting Process Marks
5284 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5285 @cindex setting process marks
5292 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5293 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5294 Mark the current article with the process mark
5295 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5296 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5300 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5301 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5302 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5303 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5306 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5307 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5308 Remove the process mark from all articles
5309 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5312 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5313 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5314 Invert the list of process marked articles
5315 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5318 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5319 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5320 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5321 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5324 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5325 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5326 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5327 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5330 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5331 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5332 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5335 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5336 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5337 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5338 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5341 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5342 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5343 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5344 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5347 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5348 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5349 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5350 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5353 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5354 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5355 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5358 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5359 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5360 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5361 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5364 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5365 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5366 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5369 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5370 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5371 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5372 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5375 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5376 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5377 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5378 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5381 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5382 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5383 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5384 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5387 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5388 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5389 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5390 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5394 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5395 set process marks based on article body contents.
5402 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5403 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5404 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5407 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5408 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5409 additional articles.
5415 @kindex / / (Summary)
5416 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5417 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5418 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
5421 @kindex / a (Summary)
5422 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5423 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5424 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
5427 @kindex / x (Summary)
5428 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5429 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5430 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5431 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}).
5435 @kindex / u (Summary)
5437 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5438 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5439 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5440 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5441 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5444 @kindex / m (Summary)
5445 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5446 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5447 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5450 @kindex / t (Summary)
5451 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5452 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5453 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5454 articles younger than that number of days.
5457 @kindex / n (Summary)
5458 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5459 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5460 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5461 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5464 @kindex / w (Summary)
5465 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5466 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5467 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5471 @kindex / v (Summary)
5472 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5473 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5474 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5478 @kindex M S (Summary)
5479 @kindex / E (Summary)
5480 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5481 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5482 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5485 @kindex / D (Summary)
5486 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5487 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5488 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5491 @kindex / * (Summary)
5492 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5493 Include all cached articles in the limit
5494 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5497 @kindex / d (Summary)
5498 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5499 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5500 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5503 @kindex / M (Summary)
5504 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5505 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5508 @kindex / T (Summary)
5509 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
5510 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
5513 @kindex / c (Summary)
5514 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
5515 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
5516 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
5519 @kindex / C (Summary)
5520 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
5521 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
5522 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
5523 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
5531 @cindex article threading
5533 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
5534 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
5535 hierarchical fashion.
5537 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
5538 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
5539 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
5540 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
5541 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
5542 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
5543 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
5545 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
5549 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
5552 A tree-like article structure.
5555 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
5558 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
5559 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
5560 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
5561 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
5562 called loose threads.
5564 @item thread gathering
5565 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
5567 @item sparse threads
5568 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
5569 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
5575 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
5576 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
5580 @node Customizing Threading
5581 @subsection Customizing Threading
5582 @cindex customizing threading
5585 * Loose Threads:: How gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
5586 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
5587 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
5588 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
5593 @subsubsection Loose Threads
5596 @cindex loose threads
5599 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
5600 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
5601 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
5602 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
5603 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
5604 read or killed the root in a previous session.
5606 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
5607 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
5608 There are four possible values:
5612 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
5613 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
5614 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5615 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5616 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5621 @cindex adopting articles
5626 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
5627 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
5628 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
5629 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
5632 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
5633 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
5634 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
5635 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
5636 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
5637 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
5638 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
5641 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
5642 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
5643 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
5647 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
5648 display them after one another.
5651 Don't gather loose threads.
5654 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5655 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5656 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
5657 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
5658 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
5659 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
5660 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
5661 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
5662 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
5663 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
5664 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
5666 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
5667 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
5668 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
5671 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5672 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5673 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
5674 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
5675 simplification is used.
5677 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5678 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5679 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
5680 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
5682 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
5684 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5690 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
5691 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
5692 "answer" "reference" "announce"
5693 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
5698 (mapconcat 'identity
5699 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
5701 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
5704 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
5707 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5708 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5709 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
5710 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
5711 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
5712 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
5714 Useful functions to put in this list include:
5717 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
5718 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
5719 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
5721 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5722 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5725 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
5726 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
5727 Remove excessive whitespace.
5730 You may also write your own functions, of course.
5733 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5734 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5735 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
5736 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
5737 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
5738 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
5739 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
5740 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
5742 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5743 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5744 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
5745 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
5746 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
5747 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
5748 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
5749 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
5750 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
5754 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5755 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5756 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
5757 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
5759 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5760 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5761 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
5764 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
5768 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5769 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
5775 @node Filling In Threads
5776 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
5779 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
5780 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
5781 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
5782 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
5783 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
5784 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
5785 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5786 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5787 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5788 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5789 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5790 expired by the server, there's not much gnus can do about that.
5792 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5793 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5794 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5796 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5797 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5798 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5799 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5800 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5801 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5802 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
5803 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5804 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
5805 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
5806 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5807 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
5808 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5809 @code{nil} by default.
5811 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
5812 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
5813 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
5814 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the backend has to fetch
5815 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
5816 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
5817 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
5819 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
5820 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
5821 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
5826 @node More Threading
5827 @subsubsection More Threading
5830 @item gnus-show-threads
5831 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5832 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5833 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5834 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5835 slower and more awkward.
5837 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5838 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5839 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5842 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5843 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5844 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5845 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5846 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5847 threads are expunged.
5849 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5850 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5851 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5854 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5855 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5856 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5857 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
5858 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
5859 result in a new thread.
5861 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5862 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5863 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5866 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5867 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5868 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
5869 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
5870 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
5871 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
5872 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
5873 Setting this variable to an alternate value
5874 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
5875 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
5876 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
5881 @node Low-Level Threading
5882 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5886 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5887 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5888 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
5889 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
5890 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
5891 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
5893 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5894 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5895 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5896 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5897 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5898 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5899 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5900 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5901 meaningful. Here's one example:
5904 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5906 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5907 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5909 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5911 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5918 @node Thread Commands
5919 @subsection Thread Commands
5920 @cindex thread commands
5926 @kindex T k (Summary)
5927 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5928 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5929 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5930 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5931 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5936 @kindex T l (Summary)
5937 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5938 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5939 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5940 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5943 @kindex T i (Summary)
5944 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5945 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5946 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5949 @kindex T # (Summary)
5950 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5951 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5952 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5955 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5956 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5957 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5958 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5961 @kindex T T (Summary)
5962 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
5963 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
5966 @kindex T s (Summary)
5967 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
5968 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
5969 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
5972 @kindex T h (Summary)
5973 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
5974 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
5977 @kindex T S (Summary)
5978 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
5979 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
5982 @kindex T H (Summary)
5983 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
5984 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
5987 @kindex T t (Summary)
5988 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
5989 Re-thread the current article's thread
5990 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
5991 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
5994 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
5995 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
5996 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
5997 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6001 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6002 understand the numeric prefix.
6007 @kindex T n (Summary)
6009 @kindex M-C-n (Summary)
6011 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6012 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6013 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6016 @kindex T p (Summary)
6018 @kindex M-C-p (Summary)
6020 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6021 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6022 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6025 @kindex T d (Summary)
6026 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6027 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6030 @kindex T u (Summary)
6031 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6032 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6035 @kindex T o (Summary)
6036 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6037 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6040 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6041 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6042 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6043 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6044 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6045 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6046 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6047 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6048 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6049 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6050 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6051 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6055 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6056 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6058 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6059 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6060 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6061 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6062 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6063 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6064 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6065 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6066 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6067 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6068 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6070 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6071 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6072 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6073 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
6074 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6076 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6077 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6078 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6080 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6081 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6082 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6083 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6084 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6085 ascending article order.
6087 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6088 by number, you could do something like:
6091 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6092 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6093 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6094 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6097 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6098 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6099 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6100 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6101 which the articles arrived.
6103 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6107 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6109 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6110 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6113 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6114 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6115 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6116 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6119 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6120 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6121 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6122 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6123 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6124 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6125 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6126 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6127 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6128 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6129 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6130 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6131 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6133 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6137 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6138 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6139 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6144 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6145 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6146 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6147 @cindex article pre-fetch
6150 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6151 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6152 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6153 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6154 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6156 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6157 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
6159 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6160 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6161 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6162 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6163 connection is blocked.
6165 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6166 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6167 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6168 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
6170 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6171 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6172 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6173 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6176 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6179 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6180 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6181 happen automatically.
6183 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6184 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6185 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6186 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
6187 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
6188 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6189 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6191 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6192 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6193 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6194 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6195 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6196 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6197 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6198 data structure as the only parameter.
6200 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6203 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6204 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6205 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6206 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6209 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6212 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6213 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
6214 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6216 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6217 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6218 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6219 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6223 Remove articles when they are read.
6226 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6229 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6231 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6232 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6233 @c from the next group.
6236 @node Article Caching
6237 @section Article Caching
6238 @cindex article caching
6241 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6242 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6243 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6244 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6245 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6247 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6249 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6250 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6251 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6252 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6253 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6254 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6255 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6256 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6258 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6259 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6260 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6261 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6262 as dormant, and don't worry.
6264 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6266 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6267 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6268 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6269 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6270 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6271 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6272 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6273 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6274 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6275 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6277 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6278 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6279 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6280 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6281 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6282 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6283 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6284 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6285 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6286 not then be downloaded by this command.
6288 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6289 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6290 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6291 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6292 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6293 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6295 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6296 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6297 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6298 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6299 variables, the group is not cached.
6301 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6302 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6303 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6304 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6305 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6306 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
6307 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6308 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6309 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6313 @node Persistent Articles
6314 @section Persistent Articles
6315 @cindex persistent articles
6317 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6318 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6319 useful in my opinion.
6321 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6322 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6323 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6324 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6325 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6326 the expiry going on at the news server.
6328 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6329 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6330 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6336 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6337 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6340 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6341 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6342 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6343 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6347 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6349 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6350 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6351 interested in persistent articles:
6354 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6358 @node Article Backlog
6359 @section Article Backlog
6361 @cindex article backlog
6363 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6364 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6365 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
6366 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6367 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6368 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6369 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
6370 increase memory usage some.
6372 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6373 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
6374 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6375 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
6376 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6377 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6378 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6380 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6383 @node Saving Articles
6384 @section Saving Articles
6385 @cindex saving articles
6387 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6388 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6389 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6390 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6391 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6393 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6394 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
6395 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6397 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6398 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6399 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6400 deleted before saving.
6406 @kindex O o (Summary)
6408 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6409 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6410 Save the current article using the default article saver
6411 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6414 @kindex O m (Summary)
6415 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6416 Save the current article in mail format
6417 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6420 @kindex O r (Summary)
6421 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6422 Save the current article in rmail format
6423 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6426 @kindex O f (Summary)
6427 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6428 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6429 Save the current article in plain file format
6430 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6433 @kindex O F (Summary)
6434 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6435 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6436 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6439 @kindex O b (Summary)
6440 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6441 Save the current article body in plain file format
6442 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6445 @kindex O h (Summary)
6446 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6447 Save the current article in mh folder format
6448 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6451 @kindex O v (Summary)
6452 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6453 Save the current article in a VM folder
6454 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6457 @kindex O p (Summary)
6458 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6459 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6460 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6463 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6464 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6465 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6466 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6467 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6468 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6469 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6470 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6471 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6472 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6473 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6474 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
6478 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
6479 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
6480 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
6481 functions below, or you can create your own.
6485 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6486 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6487 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
6488 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6489 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
6490 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6491 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6493 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6494 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6495 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
6496 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
6497 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6498 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6500 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
6501 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
6502 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
6503 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6504 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
6505 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6506 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6508 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6509 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6510 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
6511 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6512 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6514 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6515 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6516 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
6517 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
6518 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
6521 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
6522 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
6523 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
6524 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
6525 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
6527 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6528 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6529 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
6530 reader to use this setting.
6533 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
6534 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
6535 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
6536 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
6539 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
6540 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
6541 available functions that generate names:
6545 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
6546 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
6547 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6549 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
6550 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6551 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6553 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
6554 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
6555 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6557 @item gnus-plain-save-name
6558 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6559 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6561 @item gnus-sender-save-name
6562 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
6563 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
6566 @vindex gnus-split-methods
6567 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
6568 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
6569 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
6570 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
6574 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
6575 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
6576 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
6577 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
6580 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
6581 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
6582 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
6583 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
6584 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
6585 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
6586 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
6587 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
6588 called returns a string or a list of strings.
6590 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
6591 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
6592 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
6593 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
6595 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
6596 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
6597 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
6600 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
6601 lots of mail groups called things like
6602 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
6603 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
6604 following will do just that:
6607 (defun my-save-name (group)
6608 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
6609 (substring group (match-end 0))))
6611 (setq gnus-split-methods
6612 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
6617 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6618 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
6619 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
6620 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
6621 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
6622 all the files in the top level directory
6623 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
6624 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
6625 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
6626 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
6628 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
6629 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
6630 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
6631 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
6632 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
6635 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
6639 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
6640 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
6641 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
6644 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
6645 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
6646 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
6647 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
6650 @node Decoding Articles
6651 @section Decoding Articles
6652 @cindex decoding articles
6654 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
6655 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
6658 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
6659 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
6660 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
6661 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
6662 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
6663 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
6667 @cindex article series
6668 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
6669 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
6670 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
6671 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
6672 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
6674 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
6675 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
6676 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
6678 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
6679 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
6680 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
6682 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
6683 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
6684 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
6687 @node Uuencoded Articles
6688 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
6690 @cindex uuencoded articles
6695 @kindex X u (Summary)
6696 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
6697 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
6698 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
6701 @kindex X U (Summary)
6702 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
6703 Uudecodes and saves the current series
6704 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6707 @kindex X v u (Summary)
6708 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
6709 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
6712 @kindex X v U (Summary)
6713 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
6714 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
6715 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
6719 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
6720 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
6721 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
6722 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
6723 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6725 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
6726 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
6727 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
6728 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
6731 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
6732 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
6733 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
6734 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
6735 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
6736 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
6740 @node Shell Archives
6741 @subsection Shell Archives
6743 @cindex shell archives
6744 @cindex shared articles
6746 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
6747 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
6748 some commands to deal with these:
6753 @kindex X s (Summary)
6754 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
6755 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
6758 @kindex X S (Summary)
6759 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
6760 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
6763 @kindex X v s (Summary)
6764 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
6765 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
6768 @kindex X v S (Summary)
6769 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
6770 Unshars, views and saves the current series
6771 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
6775 @node PostScript Files
6776 @subsection PostScript Files
6782 @kindex X p (Summary)
6783 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
6784 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
6787 @kindex X P (Summary)
6788 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
6789 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
6790 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
6793 @kindex X v p (Summary)
6794 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
6795 View the current PostScript series
6796 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
6799 @kindex X v P (Summary)
6800 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
6801 View and save the current PostScript series
6802 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
6807 @subsection Other Files
6811 @kindex X o (Summary)
6812 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
6813 Save the current series
6814 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
6817 @kindex X b (Summary)
6818 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
6819 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
6820 doesn't really work yet.
6824 @node Decoding Variables
6825 @subsection Decoding Variables
6827 Adjective, not verb.
6830 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6831 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6832 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6836 @node Rule Variables
6837 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6838 @cindex rule variables
6840 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6841 variables are of the form
6844 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6851 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6852 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6854 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6855 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6858 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6859 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
6862 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6863 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6864 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6865 user and default view rules.
6867 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6868 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6869 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6874 @node Other Decode Variables
6875 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6878 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6880 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6881 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6882 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6883 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6884 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6888 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6889 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6892 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6893 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6894 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6897 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6898 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6899 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6900 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6901 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6904 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6905 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6906 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6908 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6909 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6910 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6911 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6912 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6915 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6916 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6917 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6919 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6920 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6921 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6922 looking for files to display.
6924 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6925 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6926 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6929 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6930 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6931 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6934 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6935 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6936 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6939 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6940 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6941 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6944 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6945 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6946 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6947 decoded articles as unread.
6949 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6950 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6951 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6952 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6954 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6955 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6956 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
6958 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6959 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6961 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
6962 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
6963 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
6964 @code{metamail} for viewing.
6966 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6967 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6968 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
6969 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
6970 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
6971 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
6972 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
6973 simply dropped them.
6978 @node Uuencoding and Posting
6979 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
6983 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6984 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6985 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
6986 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
6987 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
6988 for you when you post the article.
6990 @item gnus-uu-post-length
6991 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
6992 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
6993 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
6995 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
6996 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
6997 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
6998 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
6999 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7000 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7001 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7003 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7004 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7005 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7006 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7007 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7008 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7009 Default is @code{t}.
7015 @subsection Viewing Files
7016 @cindex viewing files
7017 @cindex pseudo-articles
7019 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7020 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7021 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7022 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7023 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7024 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7025 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7027 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7028 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7029 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7030 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7032 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7033 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7034 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7036 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7037 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7038 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7039 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7040 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7042 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7043 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7044 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7045 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7046 a list of parameters to that command.
7048 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7049 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7050 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7052 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7053 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7054 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7057 @node Article Treatment
7058 @section Article Treatment
7060 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7061 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7062 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7063 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7064 these articles easier.
7067 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7068 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7069 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7070 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7071 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7072 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7073 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7074 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7078 @node Article Highlighting
7079 @subsection Article Highlighting
7080 @cindex highlighting
7082 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7083 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7088 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7089 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7090 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7091 Do much highlighting of the current article
7092 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7093 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7096 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7097 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7098 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7099 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7100 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7101 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7102 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7103 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7104 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7105 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7106 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7107 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7110 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7111 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7112 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7114 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7117 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7119 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7120 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7121 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7123 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7124 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7125 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7127 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7128 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7129 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7130 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7131 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7132 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7134 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7135 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7136 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7138 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7139 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7140 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7142 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7143 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7144 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7145 that it's a citation.
7147 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7148 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7149 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7151 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7152 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7153 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7155 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7156 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7157 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7158 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7164 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7165 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7166 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7167 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7168 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7169 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7170 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7171 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7176 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7179 @node Article Fontisizing
7180 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7182 @cindex article emphasis
7184 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7185 @kindex W e (Summary)
7186 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7187 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7188 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7189 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7191 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7192 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7193 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7194 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7195 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7196 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7197 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7198 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7202 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7203 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7204 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7213 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7214 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7215 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7216 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7217 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7218 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7219 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7220 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7221 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7222 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7223 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7224 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7225 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7227 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7228 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7229 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7233 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7236 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7238 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7239 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7240 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7241 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7243 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7246 @node Article Hiding
7247 @subsection Article Hiding
7248 @cindex article hiding
7250 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7251 too much cruft in most articles.
7256 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7257 @findex gnus-article-hide
7258 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7259 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7260 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7263 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7264 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
7265 Toggle hiding of headers (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7269 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7270 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7271 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7272 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7275 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7276 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7277 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7281 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7282 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7283 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7284 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7285 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7286 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7287 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7288 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7292 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7293 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7294 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7295 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7300 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7301 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7302 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7303 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7304 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7305 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7306 articles that have signatures in them do:
7308 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7310 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7312 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7313 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7315 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7318 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7323 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7324 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7325 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7326 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7329 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7330 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7333 @cindex stripping advertisements
7334 @cindex advertisements
7335 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7336 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7337 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7338 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7339 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7340 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7341 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7342 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7343 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7344 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7348 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7349 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7350 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7351 customizing the hiding:
7355 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7356 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7357 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7358 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7359 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7360 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7361 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7366 Starting point of the hidden text.
7368 Ending point of the hidden text.
7370 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7372 Number of lines of hidden text.
7375 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7376 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7377 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7378 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7379 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7384 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7385 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7387 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7388 following two variables:
7391 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7392 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7393 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7394 50), hide the cited text.
7396 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7397 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7398 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7403 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7404 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7405 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7406 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7407 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7408 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7412 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7413 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7414 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7416 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7417 citation customization.
7419 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7423 @node Article Washing
7424 @subsection Article Washing
7426 @cindex article washing
7428 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7429 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7431 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7432 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7435 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
7436 articles by default.
7441 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
7442 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
7446 @kindex W l (Summary)
7447 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7448 Remove page breaks from the current article
7449 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7453 @kindex W r (Summary)
7454 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7455 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7456 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7457 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7458 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7459 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7461 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7462 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7463 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7464 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7468 @kindex W t (Summary)
7470 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
7471 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
7472 (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}).
7475 @kindex W v (Summary)
7476 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
7477 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
7478 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
7481 @kindex W m (Summary)
7482 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
7483 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
7484 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
7487 @kindex W o (Summary)
7488 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
7489 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
7492 @kindex W d (Summary)
7493 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
7494 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
7496 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
7498 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
7499 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
7500 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
7501 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
7504 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
7505 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
7506 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
7507 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
7510 @kindex W w (Summary)
7511 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
7512 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
7514 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
7518 @kindex W Q (Summary)
7519 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
7520 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
7523 @kindex W C (Summary)
7524 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
7525 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
7526 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
7529 @kindex W c (Summary)
7530 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
7531 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
7532 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
7533 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
7534 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
7537 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
7538 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
7539 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
7540 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
7541 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
7542 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
7543 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
7545 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
7548 @kindex W Z (Summary)
7549 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
7550 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
7551 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
7552 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
7555 @kindex W h (Summary)
7556 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
7557 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
7558 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
7559 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
7561 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
7564 @kindex W f (Summary)
7566 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
7567 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
7568 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
7569 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
7576 Look for and display any X-Face headers
7577 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
7578 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
7579 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
7580 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
7581 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
7582 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
7583 The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
7584 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For the
7585 @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
7586 like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.}
7587 to view the face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image
7588 support, the default action is to display the face before the
7589 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
7590 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
7591 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
7592 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
7593 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
7594 like @code{netpbm} or @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you
7595 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
7599 @kindex W b (Summary)
7600 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
7601 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
7602 @xref{Article Buttons}.
7605 @kindex W B (Summary)
7606 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
7607 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
7608 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
7611 @kindex W p (Summary)
7612 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
7613 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
7614 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
7615 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
7616 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
7617 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
7618 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
7621 @kindex W W H (Summary)
7622 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
7623 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
7624 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
7627 @kindex W E l (Summary)
7628 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
7629 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
7630 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
7633 @kindex W E m (Summary)
7634 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
7635 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
7636 lines with a single empty line.
7637 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
7640 @kindex W E t (Summary)
7641 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
7642 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
7643 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
7646 @kindex W E a (Summary)
7647 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
7648 Do all the three commands above
7649 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
7652 @kindex W E A (Summary)
7653 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
7654 Remove all blank lines
7655 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
7658 @kindex W E s (Summary)
7659 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
7660 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
7661 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
7664 @kindex W E e (Summary)
7665 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
7666 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
7667 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
7671 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
7674 @node Article Buttons
7675 @subsection Article Buttons
7678 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
7679 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
7680 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
7681 button on these references.
7683 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
7684 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
7685 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
7690 @item gnus-button-alist
7691 @vindex gnus-button-alist
7692 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
7695 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7701 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
7702 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
7703 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
7706 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
7707 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
7708 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
7711 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
7712 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
7713 avoid false matches.
7716 This function will be called when you click on this button.
7719 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
7720 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
7724 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
7727 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
7730 @item gnus-header-button-alist
7731 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
7732 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
7733 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
7734 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
7737 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7740 @var{header} is a regular expression.
7742 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
7743 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
7744 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
7745 default values of the variables above.
7747 @item gnus-article-button-face
7748 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
7749 Face used on buttons.
7751 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
7752 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
7753 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
7757 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
7761 @subsection Article Date
7763 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
7764 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
7765 when the article was sent.
7770 @kindex W T u (Summary)
7771 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
7772 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
7773 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
7776 @kindex W T i (Summary)
7777 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
7779 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
7780 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
7783 @kindex W T l (Summary)
7784 @findex gnus-article-date-local
7785 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
7788 @kindex W T p (Summary)
7789 @findex gnus-article-date-english
7790 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
7791 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
7794 @kindex W T s (Summary)
7795 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
7796 @findex gnus-article-date-user
7797 @findex format-time-string
7798 Display the date using a user-defined format
7799 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
7800 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
7801 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
7802 for a list of possible format specs.
7805 @kindex W T e (Summary)
7806 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
7807 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
7808 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
7809 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
7810 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
7813 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
7816 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
7817 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
7820 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
7821 into wonderful absurdities.
7823 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
7826 (gnus-start-date-timer)
7829 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
7830 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
7834 @kindex W T o (Summary)
7835 @findex gnus-article-date-original
7836 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
7837 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
7838 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
7839 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
7840 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
7844 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
7845 preferred format automatically.
7848 @node Article Signature
7849 @subsection Article Signature
7851 @cindex article signature
7853 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7854 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
7855 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
7856 that says what is to be considered a signature is
7857 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
7858 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
7859 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
7860 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
7861 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
7864 (setq gnus-signature-separator
7865 '("^-- $" ; The standard
7866 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
7867 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
7868 ; line of dashes. Shame!
7869 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
7870 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
7871 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
7874 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
7877 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
7878 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
7879 signature when displaying articles.
7883 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
7886 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
7889 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
7890 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
7892 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
7893 in question is not a signature.
7896 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
7897 listed above. Here's an example:
7900 (setq gnus-signature-limit
7901 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
7904 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
7905 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
7906 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
7907 signature after all.
7910 @node Article Miscellania
7911 @subsection Article Miscellania
7915 @kindex A t (Summary)
7916 @findex gnus-article-babel
7917 Translate the article from one language to another
7918 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
7924 @section @sc{mime} Commands
7925 @cindex MIME decoding
7927 @cindex viewing attachments
7929 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
7930 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
7936 @kindex K v (Summary)
7937 View the @sc{mime} part.
7940 @kindex K o (Summary)
7941 Save the @sc{mime} part.
7944 @kindex K c (Summary)
7945 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
7948 @kindex K e (Summary)
7949 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
7952 @kindex K i (Summary)
7953 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
7956 @kindex K | (Summary)
7957 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
7960 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
7965 @kindex K b (Summary)
7966 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
7967 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
7971 @kindex K m (Summary)
7972 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
7973 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
7974 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
7975 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
7976 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
7979 @kindex X m (Summary)
7980 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
7981 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
7982 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
7983 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7986 @kindex M-t (Summary)
7987 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
7988 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
7989 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
7992 @kindex W M w (Summary)
7993 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
7994 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
7997 @kindex W M c (Summary)
7998 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
7999 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8001 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8002 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8003 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8004 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
8005 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
8006 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8009 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8010 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8011 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8018 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8019 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8020 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8021 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8024 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8027 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8031 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8032 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8033 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8034 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8035 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
8037 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8038 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8039 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8040 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8041 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8042 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8043 save all jpegs into some directory).
8045 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8048 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8049 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8051 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8052 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8053 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8054 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8055 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8058 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8059 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8060 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8069 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8070 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8071 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8072 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8073 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8074 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8075 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8077 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8078 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8079 variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match full group names) and
8080 default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8082 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8083 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
8084 if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8085 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8086 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
8087 on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8088 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
8089 something some agents insist on having in there.
8091 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8092 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8093 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8094 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8095 quoted-printable header encoding.
8097 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8098 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8099 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8103 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8106 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8107 means encode all charsets),
8109 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8110 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8111 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8118 @cindex coding system aliases
8119 @cindex preferred charset
8121 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8123 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8124 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8127 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8128 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8131 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8132 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8134 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8137 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8140 This will almost do the right thing.
8142 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8146 (codepage-setup 1251)
8147 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8151 @node Article Commands
8152 @section Article Commands
8159 @kindex A P (Summary)
8160 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8161 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8162 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8163 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
8164 run just before printing the buffer.
8169 @node Summary Sorting
8170 @section Summary Sorting
8171 @cindex summary sorting
8173 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8174 can't really see why you'd want that.
8179 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8180 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8181 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8184 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8185 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8186 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8189 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8190 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8191 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8194 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8195 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8196 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8199 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8200 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8201 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8204 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8205 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8206 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8209 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8210 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8211 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8214 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
8215 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
8216 Sort using the default sorting method
8217 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
8220 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8221 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8222 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8223 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8224 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8228 @node Finding the Parent
8229 @section Finding the Parent
8230 @cindex parent articles
8231 @cindex referring articles
8236 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8237 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8238 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8239 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8240 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8241 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8242 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8243 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8244 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8246 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8247 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8248 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
8249 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8250 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8254 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8255 @kindex A R (Summary)
8256 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8257 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8260 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8261 @kindex A T (Summary)
8262 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8263 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8264 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8265 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8266 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8267 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8268 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8270 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8271 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8272 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8273 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8274 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8275 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8278 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8279 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8281 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8282 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8283 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8284 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8285 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8286 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8287 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8290 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8291 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8292 by giving this command a prefix.
8294 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8295 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
8296 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8297 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8298 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8299 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8302 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8303 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8304 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8307 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8308 then ask Deja if that fails:
8311 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8313 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8316 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
8317 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
8318 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8319 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
8320 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
8321 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
8324 @node Alternative Approaches
8325 @section Alternative Approaches
8327 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8328 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8331 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8332 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8337 @subsection Pick and Read
8338 @cindex pick and read
8340 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8341 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8342 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8343 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8345 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8346 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8347 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8348 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8349 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8350 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8352 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8357 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8358 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8359 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8360 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
8361 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
8362 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
8363 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
8364 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
8367 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
8368 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
8369 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
8370 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
8374 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
8375 Unpick the thread or article
8376 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8377 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
8378 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
8379 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
8380 the thread or article at that line.
8384 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
8385 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
8386 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
8387 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
8388 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
8389 will still be visible when you are reading.
8393 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
8394 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
8395 which is mapped to the same function
8396 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
8398 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
8401 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
8404 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
8405 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
8407 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
8408 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
8409 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
8411 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
8412 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
8413 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
8414 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
8415 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
8416 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
8417 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
8421 @subsection Binary Groups
8422 @cindex binary groups
8424 @findex gnus-binary-mode
8425 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
8426 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
8427 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
8428 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
8429 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
8430 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
8433 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
8434 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
8435 command, when you have turned on this mode
8436 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
8438 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
8439 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
8443 @section Tree Display
8446 @vindex gnus-use-trees
8447 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
8448 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
8449 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
8452 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
8455 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
8456 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
8457 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
8459 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8460 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8461 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
8462 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
8463 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
8465 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
8466 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
8467 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
8468 default is @code{modeline}.
8470 @item gnus-tree-line-format
8471 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
8472 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
8473 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
8474 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
8475 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
8476 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
8482 The name of the poster.
8484 The @code{From} header.
8486 The number of the article.
8488 The opening bracket.
8490 The closing bracket.
8495 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
8497 Variables related to the display are:
8500 @item gnus-tree-brackets
8501 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
8502 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
8503 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
8504 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
8505 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
8507 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8508 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8509 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
8510 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
8514 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
8515 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
8516 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
8517 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
8518 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
8519 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
8520 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
8521 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
8522 other windows displayed next to it.
8524 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
8525 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
8526 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8527 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
8528 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
8529 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
8530 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
8534 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
8537 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
8547 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
8551 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
8552 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
8554 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
8556 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
8561 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
8562 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
8563 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
8566 (setq gnus-use-trees t
8567 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8568 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
8569 (gnus-add-configuration
8573 (summary 0.75 point)
8578 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
8581 @node Mail Group Commands
8582 @section Mail Group Commands
8583 @cindex mail group commands
8585 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
8586 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
8588 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
8589 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8594 @kindex B e (Summary)
8595 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
8596 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
8597 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
8598 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
8599 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
8602 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
8603 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
8604 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
8605 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
8606 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
8607 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
8610 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
8611 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
8612 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
8613 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
8614 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
8615 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
8618 @kindex B m (Summary)
8620 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
8621 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
8622 Move the article from one mail group to another
8623 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8624 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8627 @kindex B c (Summary)
8629 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
8630 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
8631 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
8632 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8633 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8636 @kindex B B (Summary)
8637 @cindex crosspost mail
8638 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
8639 Crosspost the current article to some other group
8640 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
8641 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
8642 be properly updated.
8645 @kindex B i (Summary)
8646 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
8647 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
8648 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
8649 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
8652 @kindex B r (Summary)
8653 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
8654 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
8655 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
8656 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
8657 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
8658 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
8659 (which is the default).
8663 @kindex B w (Summary)
8665 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
8666 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
8667 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
8668 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
8669 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
8670 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
8673 @kindex B q (Summary)
8674 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
8675 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
8676 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
8677 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
8680 @kindex B t (Summary)
8681 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
8682 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
8683 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
8686 @kindex B p (Summary)
8687 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
8688 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
8689 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
8690 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
8691 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
8692 article from your news server (or rather, from
8693 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
8694 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
8695 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
8696 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
8697 just not have arrived yet.
8701 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
8702 @cindex moving articles
8703 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
8704 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
8705 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
8706 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
8707 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
8708 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
8709 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
8712 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
8713 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
8714 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
8715 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
8719 @node Various Summary Stuff
8720 @section Various Summary Stuff
8723 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
8724 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
8725 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
8726 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
8730 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
8731 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
8732 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
8734 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
8735 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
8736 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
8737 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
8738 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
8739 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
8742 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8743 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8744 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
8745 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
8746 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
8748 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8749 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8750 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
8753 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8754 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8755 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
8756 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
8757 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
8758 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
8759 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
8760 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
8761 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
8762 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
8764 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8765 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8766 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
8767 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
8768 list of articles to be selected.
8770 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
8771 the list in one particular group:
8774 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
8775 (if (string= group "some.group")
8776 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
8783 @node Summary Group Information
8784 @subsection Summary Group Information
8789 @kindex H f (Summary)
8790 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
8791 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
8792 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
8793 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
8794 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
8795 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
8796 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
8797 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
8798 be used for fetching the file.
8801 @kindex H d (Summary)
8802 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
8803 Give a brief description of the current group
8804 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
8805 rereading the description from the server.
8808 @kindex H h (Summary)
8809 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
8810 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
8811 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
8814 @kindex H i (Summary)
8815 @findex gnus-info-find-node
8816 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
8820 @node Searching for Articles
8821 @subsection Searching for Articles
8826 @kindex M-s (Summary)
8827 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
8828 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
8829 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
8832 @kindex M-r (Summary)
8833 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
8834 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
8835 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
8839 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
8840 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
8841 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
8842 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
8843 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
8844 search backward instead.
8846 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
8847 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
8850 @kindex M-& (Summary)
8851 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
8852 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
8853 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
8856 @node Summary Generation Commands
8857 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
8862 @kindex Y g (Summary)
8863 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
8864 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
8867 @kindex Y c (Summary)
8868 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
8869 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
8870 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
8875 @node Really Various Summary Commands
8876 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
8882 @kindex C-d (Summary)
8883 @kindex A D (Summary)
8884 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
8885 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
8886 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
8887 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
8888 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
8889 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
8890 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
8891 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
8895 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
8896 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
8897 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
8898 several documents into one biiig group
8899 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
8900 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
8901 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
8902 command understands the process/prefix convention
8903 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8906 @kindex C-t (Summary)
8907 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
8908 Toggle truncation of summary lines
8909 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
8910 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
8911 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
8915 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
8916 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
8917 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
8920 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
8921 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
8922 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8923 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
8926 @kindex M-C-a (Summary)
8927 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
8928 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8929 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
8934 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
8935 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
8936 @cindex summary exit
8937 @cindex exiting groups
8939 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
8940 group and return you to the group buffer.
8946 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
8948 @findex gnus-summary-exit
8949 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
8950 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
8951 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
8952 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
8953 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
8954 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
8955 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
8956 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
8957 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
8958 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
8962 @kindex Z E (Summary)
8964 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
8965 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
8966 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
8970 @kindex Z c (Summary)
8972 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
8973 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
8974 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
8975 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
8978 @kindex Z C (Summary)
8979 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
8980 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
8981 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
8984 @kindex Z n (Summary)
8985 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
8986 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
8987 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
8990 @kindex Z R (Summary)
8991 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
8992 Exit this group, and then enter it again
8993 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
8994 all articles, both read and unread.
8998 @kindex Z G (Summary)
8999 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9000 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9001 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9002 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9003 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9004 articles, both read and unread.
9007 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9008 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9009 Exit the group and go to the next group
9010 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9013 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9014 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9015 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9016 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9019 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9020 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9021 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9022 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9023 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9024 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9027 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9028 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9029 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9030 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9032 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9033 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9034 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9035 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9036 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9037 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9038 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9039 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9040 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9041 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9042 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9043 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9045 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9047 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9048 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9049 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9050 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9051 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9052 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9053 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9054 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9055 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9058 @node Crosspost Handling
9059 @section Crosspost Handling
9063 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9064 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9065 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9066 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9067 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9068 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9071 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9072 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9073 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9074 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9075 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9077 @cindex cross-posting
9080 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9081 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9082 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9083 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9084 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9085 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9086 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9087 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9088 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9089 the cross reference mechanism.
9091 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9092 @cindex overview.fmt
9093 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9094 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9095 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9096 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9097 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9098 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9101 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9102 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9103 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9108 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9111 @node Duplicate Suppression
9112 @section Duplicate Suppression
9114 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9115 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9116 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9117 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9122 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9123 is evil and not very common.
9126 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9127 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9130 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9131 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9134 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9137 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9138 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9140 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9141 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9142 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9143 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9144 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9145 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9146 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9149 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9150 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9151 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9152 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9153 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9157 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9158 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9159 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9161 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9162 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9163 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9164 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9165 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
9166 session are suppressed.
9168 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9169 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9170 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9171 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9173 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9174 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9175 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9176 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9179 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
9180 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9181 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9182 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9183 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
9184 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9185 to you to figure out, I think.
9190 Gnus is able to verify PGP or S/MIME signed messages or decrypt PGP
9195 To verify or decrypt PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or
9201 @item mm-verify-option
9202 @vindex mm-verify-option
9203 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
9204 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
9205 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9207 @item mm-decrypt-option
9208 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
9209 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
9210 @code{always}, always decrypt @code{known}, only decrypt known
9211 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9215 @node Article Buffer
9216 @chapter Article Buffer
9217 @cindex article buffer
9219 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
9220 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
9221 tell gnus otherwise.
9224 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
9225 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
9226 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
9227 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
9228 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
9232 @node Hiding Headers
9233 @section Hiding Headers
9234 @cindex hiding headers
9235 @cindex deleting headers
9237 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
9238 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
9240 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
9241 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
9242 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
9243 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
9244 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
9245 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
9246 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
9247 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
9248 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
9250 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9254 @item gnus-visible-headers
9255 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9256 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9257 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9258 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9260 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9261 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9264 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9267 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9270 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9271 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9272 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9273 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9274 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9275 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9277 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
9278 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
9281 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
9284 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9287 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
9288 variable will have no effect.
9292 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
9293 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
9294 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
9295 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
9296 the headers are to be displayed.
9298 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
9299 and then the subject, you might say something like:
9302 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
9305 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
9306 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
9308 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9309 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
9310 You can hide further boring headers by setting
9311 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
9312 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
9313 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
9314 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
9317 These conditions are:
9320 Remove all empty headers.
9322 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
9323 @code{Newsgroups} header.
9325 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
9328 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
9331 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
9332 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
9334 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
9337 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
9339 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
9342 To include these three elements, you could say something like;
9345 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
9346 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
9349 This is also the default value for this variable.
9353 @section Using @sc{mime}
9356 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
9357 while people stand around yawning.
9359 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
9360 while all newsreaders die of fear.
9362 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
9363 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
9364 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
9366 @vindex gnus-show-mime
9367 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
9368 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
9369 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
9370 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
9371 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
9372 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
9373 calls the SEMI MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
9374 information on SEMI MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is not
9375 existed yet, sorry).
9377 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
9378 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
9379 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
9380 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
9381 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
9382 buffer. These can't be avoided.
9384 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
9385 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
9386 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
9387 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
9388 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
9389 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
9390 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
9391 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
9392 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
9395 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
9397 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
9398 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
9399 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
9400 buffer when there are nobody else.
9402 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
9405 @node Customizing Articles
9406 @section Customizing Articles
9407 @cindex article customization
9409 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
9410 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
9411 called automatically when you select the articles.
9413 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
9414 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
9415 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
9416 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
9418 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
9419 for sensible values.
9423 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
9426 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
9429 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
9432 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
9435 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
9439 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
9440 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
9441 regexps in the list.
9444 A list where the first element is not a string:
9446 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
9447 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
9448 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
9452 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
9456 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
9461 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
9462 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
9463 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
9464 considered to contain just a single part.
9466 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
9467 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
9468 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
9469 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
9470 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
9471 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
9472 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
9474 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
9475 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
9476 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
9477 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
9480 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
9481 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
9482 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
9483 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
9484 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
9485 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
9486 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
9487 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
9488 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
9489 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
9490 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
9491 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
9492 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
9493 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
9494 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
9495 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
9496 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
9497 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
9498 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
9499 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
9500 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
9501 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
9502 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
9503 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
9504 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
9505 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
9506 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
9507 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
9508 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
9509 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
9510 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
9511 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
9512 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
9513 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
9514 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
9515 @item gnus-treat-translate
9516 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset
9519 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
9520 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
9521 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
9522 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
9523 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
9527 @node Article Keymap
9528 @section Article Keymap
9530 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
9531 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
9532 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
9533 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
9536 A few additional keystrokes are available:
9541 @kindex SPACE (Article)
9542 @findex gnus-article-next-page
9543 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
9546 @kindex DEL (Article)
9547 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
9548 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
9551 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
9552 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
9553 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
9554 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
9555 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
9558 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
9559 @findex gnus-article-mail
9560 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
9561 given a prefix, include the mail.
9565 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
9566 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
9567 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
9571 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
9572 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
9573 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
9576 @kindex TAB (Article)
9577 @findex gnus-article-next-button
9578 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
9579 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
9582 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
9583 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
9584 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
9590 @section Misc Article
9594 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
9595 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
9596 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
9597 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
9600 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
9601 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
9603 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
9604 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
9606 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
9607 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
9608 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
9609 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
9610 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
9611 the contents of the article buffer.
9613 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
9614 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
9615 Hook called in article mode buffers.
9617 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9618 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9619 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
9620 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
9622 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
9623 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
9624 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
9625 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
9626 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
9631 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
9632 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
9635 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
9638 @vindex gnus-break-pages
9640 @item gnus-break-pages
9641 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
9642 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
9643 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
9644 paging will not be done.
9646 @item gnus-page-delimiter
9647 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
9648 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
9653 @node Composing Messages
9654 @chapter Composing Messages
9655 @cindex composing messages
9658 @cindex sending mail
9664 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
9665 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
9666 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
9667 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
9668 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
9669 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
9672 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
9673 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
9674 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
9675 * Archived Messages:: Where gnus stores the messages you've sent.
9676 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
9677 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
9678 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
9679 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
9682 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
9683 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
9689 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
9692 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
9693 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
9694 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
9695 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
9697 @item gnus-add-to-list
9698 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
9699 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
9700 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
9705 @node Posting Server
9706 @section Posting Server
9708 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
9709 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
9711 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
9713 @vindex gnus-post-method
9715 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will post using the same
9716 select method as you're reading from (which might be convenient if
9717 you're reading lots of groups from different private servers).
9718 However. If the server you're reading from doesn't allow posting,
9719 just reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
9720 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
9721 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
9724 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
9727 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
9728 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
9729 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
9730 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
9732 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
9733 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
9735 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
9736 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
9739 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
9740 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
9744 @section Mail and Post
9746 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
9750 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
9751 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
9752 @cindex mailing lists
9754 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
9755 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
9756 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
9757 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
9758 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
9759 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
9760 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
9761 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
9762 still a pain, though.
9766 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
9767 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
9768 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
9771 @findex ispell-message
9773 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
9776 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
9777 you're in, you could say something like the following:
9780 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
9784 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
9785 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
9787 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
9790 Modify to suit your needs.
9793 @node Archived Messages
9794 @section Archived Messages
9795 @cindex archived messages
9796 @cindex sent messages
9798 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
9799 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
9800 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
9801 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
9804 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
9805 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
9806 use to store sent messages. The default is:
9810 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
9811 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
9812 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
9813 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
9816 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
9817 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
9818 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
9819 directory chosen, you could say something like:
9822 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
9823 '(nnfolder "archive"
9824 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
9825 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
9826 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
9829 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
9831 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
9832 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
9833 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
9835 This variable can be used to do the following:
9839 Messages will be saved in that group.
9841 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
9842 message will not be stored in the select method given by
9843 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
9844 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
9845 has the default value shown above. Then setting
9846 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
9847 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
9848 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
9850 @item a list of strings
9851 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
9852 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
9853 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
9855 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
9860 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
9862 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
9865 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
9867 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
9870 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
9872 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9873 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
9874 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
9875 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
9880 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9881 '((if (message-news-p)
9886 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
9887 messages in one file per month:
9890 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9891 '((if (message-news-p)
9893 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
9896 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
9897 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
9899 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
9900 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
9901 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
9902 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
9903 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
9904 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
9905 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
9906 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
9907 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
9908 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
9910 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
9911 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
9912 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
9913 this will disable archiving.
9916 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
9917 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
9918 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
9919 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
9920 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
9923 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
9924 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
9925 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
9928 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
9929 but the latter is the preferred method.
9931 @item gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
9932 @vindex gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
9933 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
9938 @node Posting Styles
9939 @section Posting Styles
9940 @cindex posting styles
9943 All them variables, they make my head swim.
9945 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
9946 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
9947 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
9950 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
9951 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
9952 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
9953 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
9954 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
9959 (signature "Peace and happiness")
9960 (organization "What me?"))
9962 (signature "Death to everybody"))
9963 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
9964 (organization "Emacs is it")))
9967 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
9968 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
9969 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
9970 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
9971 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
9972 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
9973 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
9974 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
9976 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
9977 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
9978 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header (the
9979 next element in the match) in the original article , and compare that to
9980 the last regexp in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function
9981 will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the
9982 variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be
9983 @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value,
9984 then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
9986 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
9987 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
9988 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
9989 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
9990 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
9991 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
9992 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
9993 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
9994 result is thrown away.
9996 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
9997 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
9998 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
9999 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
10000 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
10001 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
10003 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
10004 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
10005 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
10007 @findex message-mail-p
10008 @findex message-news-p
10010 So here's a new example:
10013 (setq gnus-posting-styles
10015 (signature-file "~/.signature")
10017 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
10018 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
10020 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
10021 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
10022 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
10024 (signature my-news-signature))
10025 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
10026 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
10027 ((posting-from-work-p)
10028 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
10029 (address "user@@bar.foo")
10030 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
10031 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
10033 (From (save-excursion
10034 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
10035 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
10037 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
10040 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
10041 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
10042 if you fill many roles.
10049 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
10050 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
10051 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
10052 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
10053 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
10055 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
10056 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
10057 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
10058 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
10059 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
10063 @vindex nndraft-directory
10064 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
10065 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
10066 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
10067 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
10068 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
10069 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
10071 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
10072 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
10075 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
10076 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
10077 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
10078 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
10079 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
10080 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
10081 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
10082 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
10083 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
10084 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
10085 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
10086 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
10087 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
10088 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
10090 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
10091 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
10092 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
10094 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
10095 @kindex D e (Draft)
10096 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
10097 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
10098 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
10100 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
10103 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
10104 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
10105 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
10106 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
10107 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
10108 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
10109 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
10112 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
10113 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
10114 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
10117 @node Rejected Articles
10118 @section Rejected Articles
10119 @cindex rejected articles
10121 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
10122 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
10123 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
10124 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
10126 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
10127 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
10128 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
10129 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
10130 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
10132 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
10133 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
10134 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
10140 Gnus has an ALPHA support to GPG that's provided by @file{gpg.el}. See
10141 @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} to enable Gnus to
10142 verify or decrypt messages accordingly.
10144 To use this correctly with GPG, you'll need the following lisp code in your
10145 @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10149 (setq mml2015-use 'gpg)
10150 (setq gpg-temp-directory (expand-file-name "~/.gnupg/tmp"))
10153 The @code{gpg-temp-directory} need to point to a directory with permissions set
10154 to 700, for your own safety.
10156 If you want to benefit of PGP2.6 compatibility, you might create a script named
10157 @file{gpg-2comp} with these instructions:
10161 exec gpg --rfc1991 "$@@"
10164 If you don't want to use such compatibility, you can add the following line to
10165 your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10168 (setq gpg-command-default-alist (quote ((gpg . "gpg") (gpg-2comp . "gpg"))))
10171 To sign or encrypt your message you may choose to use the MML Security
10172 menu or @kbd{C-c C-m s p} to sign your message using PGP/MIME, @kbd{C-c
10173 C-m s s} to sign your message using S/MIME. There's also @kbd{C-c C-m c
10174 p} to encrypt your message with PGP/MIME and @kbd{C-c C-m c s} to
10175 encrypt using S/MIME.
10177 Gnus will ask for your passphrase and then it will send your message, if
10178 you've typed it correctly.
10180 @node Select Methods
10181 @chapter Select Methods
10182 @cindex foreign groups
10183 @cindex select methods
10185 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
10186 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
10187 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
10188 personal mail group.
10190 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
10191 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
10192 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
10193 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
10194 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
10195 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
10197 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
10198 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
10200 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
10203 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
10204 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
10205 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
10206 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
10207 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
10209 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
10212 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
10213 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
10214 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
10215 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
10216 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
10217 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
10218 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
10222 @node Server Buffer
10223 @section Server Buffer
10225 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
10226 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
10227 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
10228 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
10229 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
10230 backend represents a virtual server.
10232 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
10233 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
10234 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
10235 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
10237 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
10238 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
10239 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
10240 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
10241 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
10242 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
10243 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
10245 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
10246 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
10249 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
10250 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
10251 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
10252 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
10253 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
10254 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
10255 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
10258 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
10259 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
10262 @node Server Buffer Format
10263 @subsection Server Buffer Format
10264 @cindex server buffer format
10266 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
10267 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
10268 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
10269 variable, with some simple extensions:
10274 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
10277 The name of this server.
10280 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
10283 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
10286 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
10287 The mode line can also be customized by using the
10288 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
10289 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
10299 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
10302 @node Server Commands
10303 @subsection Server Commands
10304 @cindex server commands
10310 @findex gnus-server-add-server
10311 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
10315 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
10316 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
10319 @kindex SPACE (Server)
10320 @findex gnus-server-read-server
10321 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
10325 @findex gnus-server-exit
10326 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
10330 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
10331 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
10335 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
10336 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
10340 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
10341 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
10345 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
10346 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
10350 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
10351 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
10352 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
10357 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
10358 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
10359 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
10360 a mail backend that has gotten out of sync.
10365 @node Example Methods
10366 @subsection Example Methods
10368 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
10371 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
10374 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
10380 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
10381 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
10384 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
10385 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
10387 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
10388 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
10392 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
10395 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
10396 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
10398 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
10399 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
10400 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
10404 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
10407 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
10410 Here's the method for a public spool:
10414 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
10415 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
10421 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
10422 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
10423 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
10424 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
10425 should probably look something like this:
10429 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
10430 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10431 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10432 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10433 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
10436 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
10437 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
10438 server that would look something like this:
10442 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
10443 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
10444 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10445 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10446 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10447 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
10450 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
10451 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
10452 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
10453 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
10456 @node Creating a Virtual Server
10457 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
10459 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
10460 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
10462 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
10463 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
10464 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
10466 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
10468 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
10469 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
10470 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
10471 will contain the following:
10481 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
10482 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
10483 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
10486 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
10487 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
10488 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
10491 @node Server Variables
10492 @subsection Server Variables
10494 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
10495 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
10496 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
10497 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
10498 won't change the "derived" variables.
10500 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
10501 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
10502 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
10503 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
10504 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
10505 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
10506 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
10507 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
10508 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
10512 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
10513 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
10514 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
10518 @node Servers and Methods
10519 @subsection Servers and Methods
10521 Wherever you would normally use a select method
10522 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
10523 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
10524 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
10528 @node Unavailable Servers
10529 @subsection Unavailable Servers
10531 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
10532 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
10533 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
10534 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
10535 actually the case or not.
10537 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
10538 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
10539 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
10540 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
10541 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
10542 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
10543 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
10544 it will regard that server as ``down''.
10546 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
10547 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
10549 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
10550 with the following commands:
10556 @findex gnus-server-open-server
10557 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
10558 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
10562 @findex gnus-server-close-server
10563 Close the connection (if any) to the server
10564 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
10568 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
10569 Mark the current server as unreachable
10570 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
10573 @kindex M-o (Server)
10574 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
10575 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
10576 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
10579 @kindex M-c (Server)
10580 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
10581 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
10582 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
10586 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
10587 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
10588 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
10594 @section Getting News
10595 @cindex reading news
10596 @cindex news backends
10598 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
10599 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
10600 or it can read from a local spool.
10603 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
10604 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
10609 @subsection @sc{nntp}
10612 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
10613 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
10614 server as the, uhm, address.
10616 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
10617 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
10618 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
10619 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
10621 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
10622 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
10623 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
10625 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
10630 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
10631 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
10632 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
10634 @cindex authentification
10635 @cindex nntp authentification
10636 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10637 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
10638 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
10639 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
10640 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
10641 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
10642 present in this hook.
10644 @item nntp-authinfo-function
10645 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
10646 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10647 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
10648 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
10649 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
10650 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
10651 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
10652 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
10653 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
10654 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
10655 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
10659 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
10662 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
10664 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
10665 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
10666 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
10667 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
10668 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
10669 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
10670 @samp{force} is explained below.
10674 Here's an example file:
10677 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
10678 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
10681 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
10682 have to be first, for instance.
10684 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
10685 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
10686 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
10687 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
10688 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
10689 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
10690 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
10692 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
10693 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
10699 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
10700 previously mentioned.
10702 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
10704 @item nntp-server-action-alist
10705 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
10706 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
10707 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
10708 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
10711 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
10712 '(("innd" (ding))))
10715 You probably don't want to do that, though.
10717 The default value is
10720 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
10721 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
10722 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
10725 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
10726 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
10728 @item nntp-maximum-request
10729 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
10730 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
10731 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
10732 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
10733 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
10734 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
10735 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
10737 @item nntp-connection-timeout
10738 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
10739 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
10740 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
10741 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
10742 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
10743 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
10744 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
10745 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
10746 no timeouts are done.
10748 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
10749 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
10750 @c @cindex PPP connections
10751 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
10752 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
10753 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
10754 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
10755 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
10756 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
10757 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
10758 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
10759 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
10760 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
10762 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
10763 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
10764 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
10765 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
10766 @c described above.
10768 @item nntp-server-hook
10769 @vindex nntp-server-hook
10770 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
10773 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
10774 @findex nntp-open-telnet
10775 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
10776 @item nntp-open-connection-function
10777 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
10778 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
10779 functions are supplied:
10782 @item nntp-open-network-stream
10783 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
10786 @item nntp-open-rlogin
10787 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
10788 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
10791 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
10795 @item nntp-rlogin-program
10796 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
10797 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
10798 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
10800 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
10801 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
10802 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
10804 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10805 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10806 User name on the remote system.
10810 @item nntp-open-telnet
10811 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
10812 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
10814 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
10817 @item nntp-telnet-command
10818 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
10819 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
10821 @item nntp-telnet-switches
10822 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
10823 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
10825 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
10826 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
10827 User name for log in on the remote system.
10829 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
10830 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
10831 Password to use when logging in.
10833 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
10834 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
10835 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
10838 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10839 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10840 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
10841 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
10843 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10844 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10845 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
10846 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
10847 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
10851 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
10852 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
10853 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
10854 you must have SSLay installed
10855 (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
10856 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
10857 define a server as follows:
10860 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
10862 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined
10863 ;; in our /etc/services
10865 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
10866 (nntp-open-connection-function
10867 nntp-open-ssl-stream)
10868 (nntp-port-number "snews")
10869 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
10874 @item nntp-end-of-line
10875 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
10876 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
10877 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
10878 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
10880 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10881 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10882 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
10886 @vindex nntp-address
10887 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
10889 @item nntp-port-number
10890 @vindex nntp-port-number
10891 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
10894 @item nntp-list-options
10895 @vindex nntp-list-options
10896 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
10897 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
10898 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
10899 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
10900 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
10904 (setq gnus-select-method
10905 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10906 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
10909 @item nntp-options-subscribe
10910 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
10911 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
10912 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
10913 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
10914 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
10915 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
10918 (setq gnus-select-method
10919 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10920 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
10923 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
10924 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
10925 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
10926 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
10927 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
10928 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
10929 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
10932 (setq gnus-select-method
10933 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10934 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
10937 @item nntp-buggy-select
10938 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
10939 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
10941 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
10942 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
10943 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
10944 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
10947 @item nntp-xover-commands
10948 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
10951 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
10952 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
10956 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
10957 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
10958 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
10959 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
10960 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
10961 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
10962 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
10963 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
10964 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
10965 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
10966 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
10968 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
10969 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
10970 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
10972 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10973 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10974 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
10975 server closes connection.
10977 @item nntp-record-commands
10978 @vindex nntp-record-commands
10979 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
10980 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
10981 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
10982 that doesn't seem to work.
10988 @subsection News Spool
10992 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
10993 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
10994 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
10997 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
10998 anything else) as the address.
11000 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
11001 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
11002 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
11003 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
11007 @item nnspool-inews-program
11008 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
11009 Program used to post an article.
11011 @item nnspool-inews-switches
11012 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
11013 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
11015 @item nnspool-spool-directory
11016 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
11017 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
11018 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
11020 @item nnspool-nov-directory
11021 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
11022 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
11023 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
11025 @item nnspool-lib-dir
11026 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
11027 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
11029 @item nnspool-active-file
11030 @vindex nnspool-active-file
11031 The path to the active file.
11033 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
11034 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
11035 The path to the group descriptions file.
11037 @item nnspool-history-file
11038 @vindex nnspool-history-file
11039 The path to the news history file.
11041 @item nnspool-active-times-file
11042 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
11043 The path to the active date file.
11045 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
11046 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
11047 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
11050 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11051 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11053 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
11054 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
11055 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
11061 @section Getting Mail
11062 @cindex reading mail
11065 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
11069 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
11070 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
11071 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
11072 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
11073 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
11074 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
11075 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
11076 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
11077 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
11078 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
11079 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
11080 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
11081 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
11085 @node Mail in a Newsreader
11086 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
11088 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
11089 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
11090 of a culture shock.
11092 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
11093 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
11095 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
11096 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
11097 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
11098 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
11100 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
11102 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
11103 deleted? How awful!
11105 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
11106 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
11107 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
11108 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
11111 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
11112 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
11113 they want to treat a message.
11115 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
11116 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
11117 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
11118 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
11119 archived somewhere else.
11121 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
11122 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
11123 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
11124 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
11125 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
11127 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
11128 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
11129 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
11131 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
11132 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
11135 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
11136 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
11137 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
11138 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
11139 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
11141 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
11142 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
11143 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
11144 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
11145 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
11146 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
11150 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
11151 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
11153 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
11154 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
11155 and things will happen automatically.
11157 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
11158 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
11161 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
11162 '((nnml "private")))
11165 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
11166 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
11167 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
11168 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
11169 like any other group.
11171 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
11174 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11175 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11176 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11180 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
11181 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
11182 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
11185 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
11186 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
11187 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
11190 @node Splitting Mail
11191 @subsection Splitting Mail
11192 @cindex splitting mail
11193 @cindex mail splitting
11195 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
11196 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
11197 to be split into groups.
11200 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11201 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11202 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11203 ("mail.other" "")))
11206 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
11207 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
11208 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
11209 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
11210 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
11211 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
11212 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
11215 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
11218 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
11219 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
11220 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
11221 mail belongs in that group.
11223 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
11224 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
11225 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
11226 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
11227 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
11228 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
11230 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
11231 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
11232 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
11233 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
11234 thinks should carry this mail message.
11236 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
11237 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
11238 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
11239 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
11241 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
11242 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
11243 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
11244 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
11245 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
11247 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
11250 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
11251 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
11252 links. If that's the case for you, set
11253 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
11254 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
11256 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
11257 @kindex nnmail-split-history
11258 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
11259 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
11260 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
11261 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
11264 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
11265 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
11266 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
11267 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
11268 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
11269 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
11270 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
11271 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
11272 month's rent money.
11276 @subsection Mail Sources
11278 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
11279 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
11283 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
11284 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
11285 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
11289 @node Mail Source Specifiers
11290 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
11292 @cindex mail server
11295 @cindex mail source
11297 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
11298 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
11303 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
11306 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
11307 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
11308 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
11311 The following mail source types are available:
11315 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
11321 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
11322 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
11325 An example file mail source:
11328 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
11331 Or using the default path:
11337 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
11338 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
11339 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
11342 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
11346 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
11349 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
11353 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
11356 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
11358 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
11361 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
11365 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
11366 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. Setting
11367 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
11368 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
11369 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
11375 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
11379 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
11383 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
11384 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
11385 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
11386 predicate are considered.
11390 Script run before/after fetching mail.
11394 An example directory mail source:
11397 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
11402 Get mail from a POP server.
11408 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
11409 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11412 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
11413 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
11414 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
11415 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
11416 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
11419 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
11423 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
11427 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
11428 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
11431 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
11434 The valid format specifier characters are:
11438 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
11439 included in this string.
11442 The name of the server.
11445 The port number of the server.
11448 The user name to use.
11451 The password to use.
11454 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11455 corresponding keywords.
11458 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11459 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11462 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11463 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11466 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
11467 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
11470 @item :authentication
11471 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
11472 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
11477 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
11478 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
11480 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
11481 default user name, and default fetcher:
11487 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
11490 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
11491 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11494 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
11497 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
11501 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
11502 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
11503 contains exactly one mail.
11509 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
11510 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
11513 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
11514 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
11516 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
11517 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
11518 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
11521 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
11522 from locking problems).
11526 Two example maildir mail sources:
11529 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
11530 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
11534 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
11539 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
11540 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
11541 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
11542 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
11549 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
11550 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11553 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
11554 @samp{993} for SSL connections.
11557 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
11561 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
11565 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
11566 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
11567 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
11569 @item :authentication
11570 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
11571 of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this
11572 means @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
11576 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
11577 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
11578 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
11584 The valid format specifier characters are:
11588 The name of the server.
11591 User name from `imap-default-user'.
11594 The port number of the server.
11597 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11598 corresponding keywords.
11601 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
11602 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
11605 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
11606 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
11607 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
11608 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
11609 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
11610 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
11613 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
11614 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
11615 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
11616 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
11619 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
11620 after finishing the fetch.
11624 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
11627 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
11629 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
11633 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
11634 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
11636 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
11639 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
11640 required for url "4.0pre.46".
11642 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
11648 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
11649 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
11652 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
11656 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
11660 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
11661 folder after finishing the fetch.
11665 An example webmail source:
11668 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
11670 :password "secret")
11675 @item Common Keywords
11676 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
11682 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
11683 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
11687 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
11692 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
11693 useful when you use local mail and news.
11698 @subsubsection Function Interface
11700 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
11701 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
11702 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
11703 consider the following mail-source setting:
11706 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
11707 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
11710 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
11711 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
11712 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
11713 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
11714 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
11716 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
11719 @node Mail Source Customization
11720 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
11722 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
11723 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
11727 @item mail-source-crash-box
11728 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
11729 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
11730 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
11732 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
11733 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
11734 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
11736 @item mail-source-directory
11737 @vindex mail-source-directory
11738 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
11739 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
11740 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
11743 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11744 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11745 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
11746 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
11747 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
11748 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
11750 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
11751 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
11752 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
11757 @node Fetching Mail
11758 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
11760 @vindex mail-sources
11761 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
11762 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
11763 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
11764 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
11766 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
11767 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
11770 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
11771 mail server, you'd say something like:
11776 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11777 :password "secret")))
11780 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
11784 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
11785 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11788 :password "secret")))
11792 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
11793 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
11794 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
11795 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
11796 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
11797 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
11801 @node Mail Backend Variables
11802 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
11804 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
11808 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11809 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11810 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
11811 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
11813 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
11814 @item nnmail-split-hook
11815 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
11816 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
11817 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
11818 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
11819 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
11820 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
11821 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
11822 in the buffer will show up in any files.
11823 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
11826 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11827 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11828 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11829 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11830 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
11831 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
11832 starting to handle the new mail) and
11833 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
11834 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
11835 default file modes the new mail files get:
11838 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11839 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
11841 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
11842 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
11845 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
11846 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
11847 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
11848 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
11849 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
11850 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
11851 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
11853 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
11854 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
11855 @findex delete-file
11856 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
11858 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11859 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11860 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
11861 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
11862 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
11867 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
11868 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
11869 @cindex mail splitting
11870 @cindex fancy mail splitting
11872 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
11873 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
11874 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
11875 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
11876 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
11877 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
11879 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
11882 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
11883 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
11884 ;; from real errors.
11885 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
11887 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
11888 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
11889 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
11890 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
11891 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
11892 ;; Other mailing lists...
11893 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
11894 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
11895 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
11896 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
11897 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
11898 ;; message was really cross-posted.
11899 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
11900 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
11902 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
11903 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
11907 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
11908 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
11909 the five possible split syntaxes:
11914 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
11915 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
11919 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
11920 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
11921 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
11922 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
11923 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
11924 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
11925 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
11926 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
11929 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11930 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
11931 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
11932 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
11935 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11936 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
11939 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
11940 this message. Use with extreme caution.
11943 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
11944 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
11945 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
11946 function should return a @var{split}.
11949 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
11950 body of the messages:
11953 (defun split-on-body ()
11955 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
11956 (goto-char (point-min))
11957 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
11961 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
11962 when the @code{:} function is run.
11965 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11966 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
11967 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
11971 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
11975 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
11976 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
11977 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
11978 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
11979 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
11981 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
11982 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
11983 are expanded as specified by the variable
11984 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
11985 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
11988 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
11989 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
11990 when all this splitting is performed.
11992 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
11993 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
11994 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
11997 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
12000 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
12001 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
12003 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
12004 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
12005 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
12006 groupings 1 through 9.
12008 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
12009 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
12010 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
12011 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
12012 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
12013 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
12014 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
12015 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
12016 it once per thread.
12018 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to a
12019 non-nil value. And then you can include
12020 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon feature, like so:
12022 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12023 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
12024 ;; other splits go here
12028 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
12029 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
12030 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
12031 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
12032 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
12033 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
12034 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
12035 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
12036 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name. It
12037 is recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
12038 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
12039 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300
12041 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12042 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
12043 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
12044 messages goes into the new group.
12047 @node Group Mail Splitting
12048 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
12049 @cindex mail splitting
12050 @cindex group mail splitting
12052 @findex gnus-group-split
12053 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
12054 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
12055 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
12056 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
12057 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
12058 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
12059 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
12060 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
12062 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
12063 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
12064 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
12065 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
12067 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
12068 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
12069 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
12070 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
12071 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
12072 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
12073 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
12075 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
12076 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
12077 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
12078 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
12079 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
12080 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
12081 @code{gnus-group-split}.
12083 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
12084 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
12085 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
12086 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
12087 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
12088 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
12089 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
12090 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
12091 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
12092 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
12093 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
12094 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
12095 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
12097 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
12102 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
12103 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
12105 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
12106 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
12107 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
12108 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
12110 ((split-spec . catch-all))
12113 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
12114 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
12115 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
12118 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
12119 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
12120 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
12124 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
12125 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
12126 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
12130 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
12133 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
12134 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
12135 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
12136 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
12137 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
12138 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
12139 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
12140 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
12141 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
12143 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
12144 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
12145 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
12146 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
12147 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
12148 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
12149 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
12150 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
12151 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
12153 @findex gnus-group-split-update
12154 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
12155 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
12156 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
12157 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
12158 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
12161 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
12164 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
12165 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
12166 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
12167 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
12168 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
12171 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
12172 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
12173 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
12174 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
12176 @node Incorporating Old Mail
12177 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
12179 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
12180 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
12181 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
12184 Doing so can be quite easy.
12186 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
12187 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
12188 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
12189 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
12190 your @code{nnml} groups.
12196 Go to the group buffer.
12199 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
12200 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12203 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
12206 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
12207 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12210 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
12211 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
12214 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
12215 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
12216 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
12217 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
12218 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
12220 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
12221 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
12222 using the new mail backend.
12225 @node Expiring Mail
12226 @subsection Expiring Mail
12227 @cindex article expiry
12229 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
12230 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
12231 different approach to mail reading.
12233 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
12234 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
12235 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
12236 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
12237 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
12238 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
12241 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
12242 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
12243 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
12244 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
12245 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
12246 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
12247 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
12248 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
12250 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12251 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
12252 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
12253 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
12254 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
12255 column in the summary buffer.
12257 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
12258 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
12259 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
12260 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
12263 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
12265 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
12266 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
12267 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
12270 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
12271 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
12272 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
12273 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
12274 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
12276 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
12277 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
12280 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12281 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
12284 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
12285 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
12287 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
12288 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
12289 don't really mix very well.
12291 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
12292 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
12293 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
12294 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
12297 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
12298 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
12299 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
12300 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
12303 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12305 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12307 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
12309 ((string= group "mail.junk")
12311 ((string= group "important")
12317 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
12318 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
12320 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
12321 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
12322 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
12325 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
12326 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
12328 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
12329 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
12330 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
12331 other groups instead of deleting them. The variable @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
12332 (and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
12333 variable supplies a default value for all groups, which can be
12334 overridden for specific groups by the group parameter.
12335 default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
12336 should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
12337 function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
12338 question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
12339 parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
12342 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
12344 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
12348 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
12349 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
12350 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
12351 easier for procmail users.
12353 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
12354 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
12355 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
12356 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
12357 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
12358 caution. Even more dangerous is the
12359 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
12360 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
12361 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
12362 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
12363 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
12364 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
12365 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
12368 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
12370 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
12371 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
12372 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
12373 auto-expire turned on.
12377 @subsection Washing Mail
12378 @cindex mail washing
12379 @cindex list server brain damage
12380 @cindex incoming mail treatment
12382 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
12383 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
12384 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
12385 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
12386 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
12387 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
12389 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
12390 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
12391 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
12394 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
12395 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
12396 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
12397 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
12400 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12401 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12402 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
12403 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
12404 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
12407 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12408 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12409 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
12410 Emacs running on MS machines.
12414 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12415 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12416 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
12417 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
12420 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12421 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12422 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
12423 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
12425 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12426 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12427 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
12428 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
12429 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
12430 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
12431 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
12434 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
12435 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
12438 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
12439 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
12442 This can also be done non-destructively with
12443 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
12445 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
12446 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
12447 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
12449 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12450 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12452 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
12453 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
12454 @code{References} headers.
12458 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12459 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12460 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
12464 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
12465 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
12466 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
12473 @subsection Duplicates
12475 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
12476 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
12477 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
12478 @cindex duplicate mails
12479 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
12480 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
12481 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
12482 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
12483 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
12484 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
12485 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
12486 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
12487 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
12488 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
12489 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
12490 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
12491 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
12493 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
12494 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
12495 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
12496 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
12498 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
12501 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
12502 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
12506 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12507 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
12508 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
12509 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
12510 (any mail "mail.misc")
12517 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12518 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
12523 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
12524 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
12525 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
12526 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
12527 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
12530 @node Not Reading Mail
12531 @subsection Not Reading Mail
12533 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
12534 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
12535 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
12537 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
12538 @code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
12539 mail, which should help.
12541 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12542 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12543 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12544 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12545 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12546 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
12547 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
12548 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
12549 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
12550 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
12551 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
12553 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
12554 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
12558 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
12559 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
12561 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
12562 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
12563 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
12565 There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
12566 backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
12567 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
12568 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
12571 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
12572 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
12573 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
12574 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
12575 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
12576 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
12580 @node Unix Mail Box
12581 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
12583 @cindex unix mail box
12585 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12586 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12587 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
12588 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
12589 which group it belongs in.
12591 Virtual server settings:
12594 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
12595 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12596 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
12599 @item nnmbox-active-file
12600 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12601 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
12602 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
12604 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
12605 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12606 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
12607 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
12612 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
12616 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12617 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12618 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
12619 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
12620 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
12622 Virtual server settings:
12625 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
12626 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12627 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
12629 @item nnbabyl-active-file
12630 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12631 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
12632 @file{~/.rmail-active}
12634 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12635 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12636 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
12642 @subsubsection Mail Spool
12644 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
12646 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
12647 format. It should be used with some caution.
12649 @vindex nnml-directory
12650 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
12651 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
12652 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
12653 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
12655 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
12658 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
12659 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
12660 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
12661 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
12662 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
12663 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
12664 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
12665 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
12667 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
12668 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
12669 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
12670 backend when it comes to reading mail.
12672 Virtual server settings:
12675 @item nnml-directory
12676 @vindex nnml-directory
12677 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
12678 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
12681 @item nnml-active-file
12682 @vindex nnml-active-file
12683 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
12684 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
12686 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
12687 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
12688 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12689 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
12691 @item nnml-get-new-mail
12692 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12693 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
12696 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
12697 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
12698 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
12699 default is @code{nil}
12701 @item nnml-nov-file-name
12702 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
12703 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
12705 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12706 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12707 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
12711 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
12712 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
12713 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
12714 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
12715 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
12716 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
12717 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
12722 @subsubsection MH Spool
12724 @cindex mh-e mail spool
12726 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
12727 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
12728 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
12729 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
12731 Virtual server settings:
12734 @item nnmh-directory
12735 @vindex nnmh-directory
12736 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
12737 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
12740 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
12741 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12742 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
12746 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
12747 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
12748 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
12749 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
12750 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
12751 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
12752 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
12757 @subsubsection Mail Folders
12759 @cindex mbox folders
12760 @cindex mail folders
12762 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
12763 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
12764 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
12767 Virtual server settings:
12770 @item nnfolder-directory
12771 @vindex nnfolder-directory
12772 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
12773 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
12776 @item nnfolder-active-file
12777 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
12778 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
12780 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12781 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12782 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12783 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
12785 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
12786 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12787 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
12790 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12791 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12792 @cindex backup files
12793 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
12794 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
12795 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
12796 your @file{.emacs} file:
12799 (defun turn-off-backup ()
12800 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
12802 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
12805 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12806 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12807 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
12808 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
12809 extract some information from it before removing it.
12811 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
12812 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
12813 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
12814 default is @code{nil}.
12819 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
12820 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
12821 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
12822 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
12823 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
12824 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
12827 @node Comparing Mail Backends
12828 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
12830 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
12831 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
12832 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
12833 and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
12834 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
12836 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
12837 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
12838 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
12839 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
12840 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
12841 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
12842 @code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
12843 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
12846 The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
12847 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
12848 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
12849 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
12854 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
12855 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
12856 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
12857 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
12858 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
12859 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
12860 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
12861 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
12862 this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
12863 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
12864 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
12865 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
12866 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
12871 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
12872 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
12873 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
12874 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
12875 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
12876 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
12877 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
12878 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
12879 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
12880 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
12881 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
12882 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
12883 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
12884 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
12886 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
12887 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
12892 @code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
12893 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
12894 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
12895 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
12896 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
12897 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
12898 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
12899 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
12900 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
12901 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
12902 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
12903 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
12904 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
12905 provided by the active file and overviews.
12907 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
12908 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
12909 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
12910 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
12911 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
12914 It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
12915 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
12920 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
12921 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
12922 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
12923 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
12924 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
12925 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
12926 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
12930 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
12931 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
12932 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
12933 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
12934 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
12935 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
12936 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
12937 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
12938 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
12940 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
12941 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
12942 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
12943 friendly mail backend all over.
12948 @node Browsing the Web
12949 @section Browsing the Web
12951 @cindex browsing the web
12955 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
12956 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
12957 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
12958 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
12959 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
12960 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
12961 even know what a news group is.
12963 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
12964 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
12965 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
12966 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
12967 you mad in the end.
12969 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
12972 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
12973 interfaces to these sources.
12976 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
12977 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
12978 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
12979 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
12980 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
12981 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
12984 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
12986 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
12987 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
12988 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
12989 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
12990 though, you should be ok.
12992 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
12993 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
12994 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
12995 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
12996 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
13000 @subsection Web Searches
13004 @cindex InReference
13005 @cindex Usenet searches
13006 @cindex searching the Usenet
13008 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
13009 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
13010 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
13011 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
13012 searches without having to use a browser.
13014 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
13015 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
13016 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
13017 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
13018 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
13020 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
13021 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
13022 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
13023 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
13024 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
13025 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
13026 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
13027 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
13028 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
13029 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
13032 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
13033 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
13034 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
13035 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
13036 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
13037 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
13039 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
13040 to use @code{nnweb}.
13042 Virtual server variables:
13047 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
13048 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
13052 @vindex nnweb-search
13053 The search string to feed to the search engine.
13055 @item nnweb-max-hits
13056 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
13057 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
13060 @item nnweb-type-definition
13061 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
13062 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
13063 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
13068 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
13072 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
13075 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
13078 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
13082 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
13089 @subsection Slashdot
13093 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
13094 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
13095 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
13097 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
13098 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
13101 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
13102 '((nnslashdot "")))
13105 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
13106 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
13107 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
13108 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
13109 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
13112 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
13113 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13115 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
13116 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
13117 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
13118 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
13119 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
13120 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
13123 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
13126 @item nnslashdot-threaded
13127 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
13128 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
13129 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
13130 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
13131 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
13132 but much, much slower than untreaded.
13134 @item nnslashdot-login-name
13135 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
13136 The login name to use when posting.
13138 @item nnslashdot-password
13139 @vindex nnslashdot-password
13140 The password to use when posting.
13142 @item nnslashdot-directory
13143 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
13144 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
13145 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
13147 @item nnslashdot-active-url
13148 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
13149 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
13150 news articles and comments. Default:
13151 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
13153 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
13154 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
13155 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
13157 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
13159 @item nnslashdot-article-url
13160 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
13161 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
13163 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
13165 @item nnslashdot-threshold
13166 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
13167 The score threshold. The default is -1.
13169 @item nnslashdot-group-number
13170 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
13171 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
13172 updated. The default is 0.
13179 @subsection Ultimate
13181 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
13183 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
13184 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
13185 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
13186 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
13188 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
13189 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
13190 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
13191 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
13192 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
13193 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
13194 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
13196 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
13199 @item nnultimate-directory
13200 @vindex nnultimate-directory
13201 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
13202 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
13207 @subsection Web Archive
13209 @cindex Web Archive
13211 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
13212 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
13213 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
13214 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
13217 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
13218 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
13219 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
13220 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
13221 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
13222 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
13223 backend by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
13225 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
13228 @item nnwarchive-directory
13229 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
13230 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
13231 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
13233 @item nnwarchive-login
13234 @vindex nnwarchive-login
13235 The account name on the web server.
13237 @item nnwarchive-passwd
13238 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
13239 The password for your account on the web server.
13247 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
13248 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
13249 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
13252 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
13253 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
13256 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
13259 @item nnrss-directory
13260 @vindex nnrss-directory
13261 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
13262 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
13266 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
13267 the summary buffer.
13270 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
13271 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
13273 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
13275 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
13276 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
13279 @node Customizing w3
13280 @subsection Customizing w3
13286 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
13287 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
13288 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
13290 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
13291 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
13292 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
13295 (eval-after-load "w3"
13297 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
13298 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
13299 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
13300 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
13302 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
13305 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
13306 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
13310 @node Other Sources
13311 @section Other Sources
13313 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
13314 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
13318 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
13319 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
13320 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
13321 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
13322 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
13323 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
13327 @node Directory Groups
13328 @subsection Directory Groups
13330 @cindex directory groups
13332 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
13333 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
13336 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
13337 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
13338 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
13339 backend to read directories. Big deal.
13341 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
13342 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
13343 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
13344 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
13345 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
13347 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
13349 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
13350 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
13351 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
13352 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
13355 @node Anything Groups
13356 @subsection Anything Groups
13359 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
13360 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
13361 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
13364 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
13365 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
13366 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
13367 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
13368 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
13369 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
13370 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
13371 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
13372 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
13373 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
13376 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
13377 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
13378 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
13379 in the article buffer, just as usual.
13381 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
13382 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
13383 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
13384 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
13386 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
13387 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
13388 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
13389 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
13390 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
13391 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
13392 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
13393 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
13398 @item nneething-map-file-directory
13399 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
13400 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
13401 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
13403 @item nneething-exclude-files
13404 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
13405 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
13406 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
13408 @item nneething-include-files
13409 @vindex nneething-include-files
13410 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
13411 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
13413 @item nneething-map-file
13414 @vindex nneething-map-file
13415 Name of the map files.
13419 @node Document Groups
13420 @subsection Document Groups
13422 @cindex documentation group
13425 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
13426 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
13433 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
13438 The standard Unix mbox file.
13440 @cindex MMDF mail box
13442 The MMDF mail box format.
13445 Several news articles appended into a file.
13448 @cindex rnews batch files
13449 The rnews batch transport format.
13450 @cindex forwarded messages
13453 Forwarded articles.
13456 Netscape mail boxes.
13459 MIME multipart messages.
13461 @item standard-digest
13462 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
13465 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
13468 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
13469 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
13470 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
13473 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
13474 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
13475 group. And that's it.
13477 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
13478 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
13479 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
13480 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
13481 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
13482 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
13483 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
13484 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
13485 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
13486 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
13488 Virtual server variables:
13491 @item nndoc-article-type
13492 @vindex nndoc-article-type
13493 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
13494 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
13495 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
13496 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
13498 @item nndoc-post-type
13499 @vindex nndoc-post-type
13500 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
13501 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
13506 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
13510 @node Document Server Internals
13511 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
13513 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
13514 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
13515 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
13516 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
13518 First, here's an example document type definition:
13522 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
13523 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
13526 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
13527 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
13528 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
13529 types can be defined with very few settings:
13532 @item first-article
13533 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
13534 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
13537 @item article-begin
13538 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
13539 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
13541 @item head-begin-function
13542 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
13545 @item nndoc-head-begin
13546 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
13549 @item nndoc-head-end
13550 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
13551 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
13553 @item body-begin-function
13554 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
13558 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
13561 @item body-end-function
13562 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
13566 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
13569 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
13570 regexp will be totally ignored.
13574 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
13575 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
13576 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
13577 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
13578 something that's palatable for Gnus:
13581 @item prepare-body-function
13582 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
13583 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
13584 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
13586 @item article-transform-function
13587 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
13588 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
13589 body of the article.
13591 @item generate-head-function
13592 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
13593 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
13594 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
13595 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
13599 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
13604 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13605 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13606 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
13607 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
13608 (head-end . "^ ?$")
13609 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
13610 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
13611 (subtype digest guess))
13614 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
13615 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
13616 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
13617 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
13618 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
13620 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
13621 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
13622 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
13623 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
13624 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
13625 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
13626 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
13627 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
13628 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
13629 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
13637 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
13638 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
13639 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
13641 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
13642 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
13643 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
13646 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
13647 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
13648 that interested in doing things properly.
13650 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
13651 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
13654 First some terminology:
13659 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
13660 get news and/or mail from.
13663 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
13664 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
13667 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
13671 @item message packets
13672 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
13673 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
13674 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13676 @item response packets
13677 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
13678 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
13679 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13689 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
13690 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
13691 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
13692 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
13695 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
13698 You put the packet in your home directory.
13701 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
13702 the native or secondary server.
13705 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
13706 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
13709 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
13713 You transfer this packet to the server.
13716 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
13719 You then repeat until you die.
13723 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
13724 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
13727 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
13728 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
13729 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
13733 @node SOUP Commands
13734 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
13736 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
13740 @kindex G s b (Group)
13741 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
13742 Pack all unread articles in the current group
13743 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
13744 process/prefix convention.
13747 @kindex G s w (Group)
13748 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
13749 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
13752 @kindex G s s (Group)
13753 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
13754 Send all replies from the replies packet
13755 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
13758 @kindex G s p (Group)
13759 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
13760 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
13763 @kindex G s r (Group)
13764 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
13765 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
13768 @kindex O s (Summary)
13769 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
13770 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
13771 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
13772 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13777 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
13782 @item gnus-soup-directory
13783 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
13784 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
13785 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
13787 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
13788 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
13789 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
13790 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
13792 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
13793 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
13794 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
13795 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
13797 @item gnus-soup-packer
13798 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
13799 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13800 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
13802 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
13803 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
13804 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13805 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13807 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
13808 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
13809 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
13811 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13812 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13813 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
13814 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
13820 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
13823 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
13824 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
13825 you can read them at leisure.
13827 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
13831 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
13832 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
13833 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
13834 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
13836 @item nnsoup-directory
13837 @vindex nnsoup-directory
13838 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
13839 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
13841 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
13842 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
13843 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
13844 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
13846 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
13847 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
13848 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
13849 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
13850 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
13852 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
13853 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
13854 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
13855 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
13857 @item nnsoup-active-file
13858 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
13859 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
13860 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
13861 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
13862 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
13864 @item nnsoup-packer
13865 @vindex nnsoup-packer
13866 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
13867 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
13869 @item nnsoup-unpacker
13870 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
13871 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
13872 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13874 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
13875 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
13876 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
13879 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
13880 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
13881 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
13884 @item nnsoup-always-save
13885 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
13886 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
13892 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
13894 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
13895 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
13896 more for that to happen.
13898 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
13899 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
13900 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
13903 In specific, this is what it does:
13906 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
13907 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
13910 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
13911 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
13912 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
13915 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
13916 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
13917 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
13920 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
13921 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
13922 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
13924 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
13930 @item nngateway-address
13931 @vindex nngateway-address
13932 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
13934 @item nngateway-header-transformation
13935 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
13936 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
13937 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
13938 transformation should be called, and defaults to
13939 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
13940 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
13943 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
13944 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
13945 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
13948 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
13951 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
13954 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
13957 The following pre-defined functions exist:
13959 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13962 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13963 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13964 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
13966 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13968 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13969 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13970 @code{nngateway-address}.
13975 (setq gnus-post-method
13977 "mail2news@@replay.com"
13978 (nngateway-header-transformation
13979 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
13987 So, to use this, simply say something like:
13990 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
13996 @subsection @sc{imap}
14000 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14001 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14002 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14003 specify the network address of the server.
14005 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14006 POP can, it can hence be viewed as POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14007 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14008 protocol. (@sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp} because news
14009 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.)
14011 If you want to use @sc{imap} as POP++, use an imap entry in
14012 mail-sources. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the @sc{imap}
14013 server and store them on the local disk. This is not the usage
14014 described in this section. @xref{Mail Sources}.
14016 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14017 entry in gnus-secondary-select-methods. With this, Gnus will
14018 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14019 usage explained in this section.
14021 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14022 might look something like this:
14025 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14026 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14027 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14029 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14030 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14031 ; a UW server running on localhost
14033 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14034 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14035 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14036 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14037 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14038 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14039 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14040 (nnimap-stream network))
14041 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14043 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14044 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14045 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14048 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14053 @item nnimap-address
14054 @vindex nnimap-address
14056 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14057 server name if not specified.
14059 @item nnimap-server-port
14060 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14061 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14063 Note that this should be a integer, example server specification:
14066 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14067 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14070 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14071 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14072 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14073 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14074 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14075 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14076 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14078 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14079 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14080 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14083 Example server specification:
14086 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14087 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14088 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14091 @item nnimap-stream
14092 @vindex nnimap-stream
14093 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14094 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14095 of SSL. (SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can be automatically
14096 detected, but it's not widely deployed yet).
14098 Example server specification:
14101 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14102 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14105 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14109 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Require the
14110 @samp{imtest} program.
14112 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Require the @samp{imtest} program.
14114 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14115 SSL). Require the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14118 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Require OpenSSL (the
14119 program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
14121 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14123 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14126 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14127 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD, nnimap support
14128 both @samp{imtest} version 1.5.x and version 1.6.x. The variable
14129 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14132 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14133 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14134 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14135 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
14136 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14137 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14138 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14141 @vindex imap-shell-program
14142 @vindex imap-shell-host
14143 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14144 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14146 @item nnimap-authenticator
14147 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14149 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14150 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14152 Example server specification:
14155 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14156 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14159 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14163 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
14164 external program @code{imtest}.
14166 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
14169 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
14170 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14172 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14174 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14176 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14179 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
14181 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
14182 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
14183 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
14184 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
14185 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
14186 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
14189 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
14190 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
14191 running in circles yet?
14193 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
14194 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
14197 The possible options are:
14202 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
14205 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
14206 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
14207 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
14208 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
14210 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
14215 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
14216 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
14218 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
14219 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
14220 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
14226 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
14227 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
14228 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
14233 @node Splitting in IMAP
14234 @subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
14235 @cindex splitting imap mail
14237 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
14238 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
14239 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
14240 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
14241 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
14245 Here are the variables of interest:
14249 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
14250 @cindex splitting, crosspost
14252 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
14254 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
14255 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
14257 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
14259 @item nnimap-split-inbox
14260 @cindex splitting, inbox
14262 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
14264 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
14265 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
14269 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
14270 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
14273 No nnmail equivalent.
14275 @item nnimap-split-rule
14276 @cindex Splitting, rules
14277 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
14279 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
14282 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
14283 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
14284 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
14285 Neither did I, we need examples.
14288 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14290 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
14291 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
14292 ("INBOX.private" "")))
14295 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
14296 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
14297 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
14299 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
14300 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
14304 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
14307 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14308 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
14309 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
14310 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
14312 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
14313 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
14314 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
14315 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
14316 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
14317 them every time you fetch new mail.)
14319 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
14320 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
14321 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
14323 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
14324 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
14325 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14327 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
14329 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
14330 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
14331 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
14334 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14335 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14336 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14337 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14338 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14339 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
14342 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
14343 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
14344 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
14345 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
14346 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
14347 group/function elements.
14349 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
14351 @item nnimap-split-predicate
14353 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
14355 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
14356 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
14358 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
14359 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
14360 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
14363 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14364 @cindex splitting, fancy
14365 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
14366 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
14368 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14369 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
14370 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14372 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
14373 nnimap backends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14374 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
14375 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14380 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
14381 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
14384 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14388 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
14389 @subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14390 @cindex editing imap acls
14391 @cindex Access Control Lists
14392 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14394 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
14396 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
14397 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
14398 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
14401 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
14402 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
14403 editing window with detailed instructions.
14405 Some possible uses:
14409 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
14410 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
14411 follow the list without subscribing to it.
14413 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
14414 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
14415 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
14419 @node Expunging mailboxes
14420 @subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
14424 @cindex Manual expunging
14426 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
14428 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
14429 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
14430 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
14432 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
14437 @node Combined Groups
14438 @section Combined Groups
14440 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
14444 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
14445 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
14449 @node Virtual Groups
14450 @subsection Virtual Groups
14452 @cindex virtual groups
14453 @cindex merging groups
14455 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
14458 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
14459 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
14460 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
14462 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
14463 regexp to match component groups.
14465 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
14466 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
14467 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
14468 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
14469 the virtual group.)
14471 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
14472 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
14475 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
14478 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
14479 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
14481 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
14482 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
14483 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
14484 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
14487 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
14490 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
14491 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
14492 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
14494 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
14495 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
14496 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
14497 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
14498 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
14500 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
14501 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
14502 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
14504 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
14505 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
14506 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
14507 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
14508 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
14509 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
14510 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
14511 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
14512 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
14513 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
14514 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
14516 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
14517 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
14518 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
14519 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
14520 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
14521 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
14522 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
14524 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
14525 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
14529 @node Kibozed Groups
14530 @subsection Kibozed Groups
14534 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
14535 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
14536 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
14537 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
14539 @kindex G k (Group)
14540 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
14543 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
14544 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
14545 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
14546 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
14548 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
14549 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
14550 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
14552 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
14553 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
14554 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
14555 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
14556 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
14557 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
14558 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
14559 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
14561 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
14562 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
14563 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
14564 Stranger things have happened.
14566 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
14567 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
14569 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
14570 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
14571 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
14572 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
14573 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
14574 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
14576 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
14577 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
14580 @node Gnus Unplugged
14581 @section Gnus Unplugged
14586 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
14588 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
14589 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
14590 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
14591 read news. Believe it or not.
14593 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
14594 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
14595 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
14596 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
14597 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
14599 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
14600 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
14601 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
14602 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
14603 reading news on a machine.
14605 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
14609 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
14610 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
14614 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
14615 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14622 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
14624 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
14627 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
14628 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
14629 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
14630 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
14631 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
14632 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
14633 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
14634 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
14635 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
14636 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
14641 @subsection Agent Basics
14643 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
14645 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
14646 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
14647 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
14648 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
14650 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
14651 connected to the net continuously.
14653 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
14654 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
14656 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
14661 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
14662 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
14663 already fetched while in this mode.
14666 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
14667 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
14668 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
14669 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
14670 Source Specifiers}).
14673 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
14674 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
14675 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
14676 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
14677 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
14680 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
14681 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
14682 then you read the news offline.
14685 And then you go to step 2.
14688 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
14694 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
14695 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
14696 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
14697 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
14698 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
14699 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
14702 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
14709 @node Agent Categories
14710 @subsection Agent Categories
14712 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
14713 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
14714 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
14715 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
14716 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
14717 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
14718 you're interested in the articles anyway.
14720 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
14721 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
14722 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
14723 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
14724 managing categories.
14727 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
14728 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
14729 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
14733 @node Category Syntax
14734 @subsubsection Category Syntax
14736 A category consists of two things.
14740 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
14741 are eligible for downloading; and
14744 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
14745 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
14746 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
14749 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
14750 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
14751 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
14752 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
14754 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
14755 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
14756 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
14758 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
14759 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
14760 operators sprinkled in between.
14762 Perhaps some examples are in order.
14764 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
14765 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
14771 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
14772 short (for some value of ``short'').
14774 Here's a more complex predicate:
14783 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
14784 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
14787 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
14788 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
14789 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
14791 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
14792 you want to do, you can write your own.
14796 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
14797 lines; default 100.
14800 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
14801 lines; default 200.
14804 True iff the article has a download score less than
14805 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
14808 True iff the article has a download score greater than
14809 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
14812 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
14813 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
14814 checksum and sees whether articles match.
14823 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
14824 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
14825 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
14828 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
14829 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
14830 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
14831 something along the lines of the following:
14834 (defun my-article-old-p ()
14835 "Say whether an article is old."
14836 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
14837 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
14840 with the predicate then defined as:
14843 (not my-article-old-p)
14846 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
14847 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
14848 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
14849 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
14852 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
14853 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
14854 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
14857 and simply specify your predicate as:
14863 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
14864 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
14865 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
14866 just don't give a damn.
14868 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
14869 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
14870 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
14871 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
14872 parameters like so:
14875 (agent-predicate . short)
14878 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
14879 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
14880 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
14882 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
14885 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
14888 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
14889 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
14890 predicate is assumed to be a list.
14893 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
14894 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
14895 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
14896 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
14897 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
14898 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
14900 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
14901 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
14902 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
14903 if it's to be specific to that group.
14905 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
14912 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
14913 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
14919 Category specification
14923 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14929 Group Parameter specification
14932 (agent-score ("from"
14933 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14938 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
14944 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
14951 Category specification
14954 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
14960 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
14964 Group Parameter specification
14967 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
14970 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
14975 Use @code{normal} score files
14977 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
14978 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
14979 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
14980 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
14982 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
14983 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
14984 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
14985 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
14989 Category Specification
14996 Group Parameter specification
14999 (agent-score . file)
15004 @node Category Buffer
15005 @subsubsection Category Buffer
15007 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
15008 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
15009 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
15011 The following commands are available in this buffer:
15015 @kindex q (Category)
15016 @findex gnus-category-exit
15017 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
15020 @kindex k (Category)
15021 @findex gnus-category-kill
15022 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
15025 @kindex c (Category)
15026 @findex gnus-category-copy
15027 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
15030 @kindex a (Category)
15031 @findex gnus-category-add
15032 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
15035 @kindex p (Category)
15036 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
15037 Edit the predicate of the current category
15038 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
15041 @kindex g (Category)
15042 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
15043 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
15044 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
15047 @kindex s (Category)
15048 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
15049 Edit the download score rule of the current category
15050 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
15053 @kindex l (Category)
15054 @findex gnus-category-list
15055 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
15059 @node Category Variables
15060 @subsubsection Category Variables
15063 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
15064 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
15065 Hook run in category buffers.
15067 @item gnus-category-line-format
15068 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
15069 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
15070 Variables}). Valid elements are:
15074 The name of the category.
15077 The number of groups in the category.
15080 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
15081 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
15082 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
15084 @item gnus-agent-short-article
15085 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
15086 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
15088 @item gnus-agent-long-article
15089 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
15090 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
15092 @item gnus-agent-low-score
15093 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
15094 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
15097 @item gnus-agent-high-score
15098 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
15099 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
15105 @node Agent Commands
15106 @subsection Agent Commands
15108 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
15109 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
15110 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
15114 * Group Agent Commands::
15115 * Summary Agent Commands::
15116 * Server Agent Commands::
15119 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
15120 following incantation:
15122 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
15124 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
15129 @node Group Agent Commands
15130 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
15134 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
15135 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
15136 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
15137 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
15140 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
15141 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
15142 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
15145 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
15146 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
15147 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
15148 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
15151 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
15152 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
15153 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
15154 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
15157 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
15158 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
15159 Add the current group to an Agent category
15160 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
15161 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15164 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
15165 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
15166 Remove the current group from its category, if any
15167 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
15168 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15171 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
15172 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15173 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
15179 @node Summary Agent Commands
15180 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
15184 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
15185 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
15186 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
15189 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
15190 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
15191 Remove the downloading mark from the article
15192 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
15195 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
15196 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
15197 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
15200 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
15201 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
15202 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
15207 @node Server Agent Commands
15208 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
15212 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
15213 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
15214 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
15215 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
15218 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
15219 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
15220 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
15221 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
15227 @subsection Agent Expiry
15229 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
15230 @findex gnus-agent-expire
15231 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
15232 @cindex Agent expiry
15233 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
15236 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
15237 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
15238 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
15239 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
15240 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
15241 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
15243 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
15244 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
15245 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
15246 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
15247 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
15250 @node Agent and IMAP
15251 @subsection Agent and IMAP
15253 The Agent work with any Gnus backend, including nnimap. However,
15254 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
15255 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
15256 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
15258 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
15259 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
15260 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
15261 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
15263 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
15264 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
15265 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
15266 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
15267 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
15269 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15270 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
15271 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
15272 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
15273 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
15274 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
15276 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
15277 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
15278 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
15279 in the group buffer by default.
15281 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
15282 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
15287 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
15290 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
15294 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
15295 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
15296 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
15297 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
15298 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
15299 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
15300 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
15301 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
15304 @node Outgoing Messages
15305 @subsection Outgoing Messages
15307 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
15308 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
15309 after posting, and edit them at will.
15311 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
15312 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
15313 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
15314 messages in the draft group.
15318 @node Agent Variables
15319 @subsection Agent Variables
15322 @item gnus-agent-directory
15323 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
15324 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
15325 @file{~/News/agent/}.
15327 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
15328 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
15329 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
15330 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
15331 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
15334 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15335 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15336 Hook run when connecting to the network.
15338 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15339 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15340 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
15345 @node Example Setup
15346 @subsection Example Setup
15348 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
15349 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
15350 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
15353 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
15354 ;;; from your ISP's server.
15355 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
15357 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
15358 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
15359 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
15361 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
15362 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
15364 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
15368 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
15369 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
15372 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
15373 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
15374 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
15375 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
15376 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
15379 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
15380 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
15381 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
15382 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
15383 back all the killed groups.)
15385 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
15386 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
15387 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
15390 @node Batching Agents
15391 @subsection Batching Agents
15393 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
15394 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
15395 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
15399 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
15403 @node Agent Caveats
15404 @subsection Agent Caveats
15406 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
15407 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
15411 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
15416 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
15417 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
15423 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
15424 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
15431 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
15432 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
15433 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
15436 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
15437 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
15438 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
15439 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
15440 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
15442 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
15443 before generating the summary buffer.
15445 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
15446 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
15447 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
15449 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
15450 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
15451 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
15452 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
15455 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
15456 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
15457 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
15458 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
15459 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
15460 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
15461 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
15462 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
15463 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
15464 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
15465 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
15466 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
15467 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
15468 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
15469 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
15470 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
15474 @node Summary Score Commands
15475 @section Summary Score Commands
15476 @cindex score commands
15478 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
15479 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
15480 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
15481 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
15482 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
15484 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
15485 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
15486 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
15487 score file the current one.
15489 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
15494 @kindex V s (Summary)
15495 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
15496 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
15499 @kindex V S (Summary)
15500 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
15501 Display the score of the current article
15502 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
15505 @kindex V t (Summary)
15506 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
15507 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
15508 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
15511 @kindex V R (Summary)
15512 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
15513 Run the current summary through the scoring process
15514 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
15515 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
15516 effect you're having.
15519 @kindex V c (Summary)
15520 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
15521 Make a different score file the current
15522 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
15525 @kindex V e (Summary)
15526 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
15527 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
15528 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
15532 @kindex V f (Summary)
15533 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
15534 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
15535 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
15538 @kindex V F (Summary)
15539 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15540 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
15541 after editing score files.
15544 @kindex V C (Summary)
15545 @findex gnus-score-customize
15546 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
15547 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
15551 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
15556 @kindex V m (Summary)
15557 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
15558 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
15559 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
15562 @kindex V x (Summary)
15563 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
15564 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
15565 expunge all articles below this score
15566 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
15569 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
15570 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
15573 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
15574 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
15578 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
15579 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
15581 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
15582 keys are available:
15586 Score on the author name.
15589 Score on the subject line.
15592 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
15595 Score on the @code{References} line.
15601 Score on the number of lines.
15604 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
15607 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
15608 the followups to this author.
15622 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
15623 what headers you are scoring on.
15635 Substring matching.
15638 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
15667 Greater than number.
15672 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
15673 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
15674 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
15678 Temporary score entry.
15681 Permanent score entry.
15684 Immediately scoring.
15689 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
15690 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
15691 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
15692 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
15694 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
15695 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
15696 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
15697 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
15698 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
15700 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
15701 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
15702 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
15703 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
15704 current score file.
15706 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
15707 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
15708 pretend they are keymaps or not.
15711 @node Group Score Commands
15712 @section Group Score Commands
15713 @cindex group score commands
15715 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
15720 @kindex W f (Group)
15721 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15722 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
15723 all the time. This command will flush the cache
15724 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
15728 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
15730 @findex gnus-batch-score
15731 @cindex batch scoring
15733 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
15737 @node Score Variables
15738 @section Score Variables
15739 @cindex score variables
15743 @item gnus-use-scoring
15744 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
15745 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
15746 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
15748 @item gnus-kill-killed
15749 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
15750 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
15751 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
15752 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
15753 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
15754 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
15755 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
15757 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
15758 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
15759 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
15760 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
15761 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
15763 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
15764 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
15765 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
15766 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
15768 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15769 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15770 @cindex score cache
15771 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
15772 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
15773 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
15774 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
15775 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
15776 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
15779 @item gnus-save-score
15780 @vindex gnus-save-score
15781 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
15782 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
15783 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
15785 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
15786 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
15787 across group visits.
15789 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15790 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15791 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
15792 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
15793 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
15794 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
15795 manually entered data.
15797 @item gnus-summary-default-score
15798 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
15799 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
15801 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
15802 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
15803 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
15804 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
15805 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
15806 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
15808 @item gnus-score-over-mark
15809 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
15810 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
15811 default. Default is @samp{+}.
15813 @item gnus-score-below-mark
15814 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
15815 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
15816 default. Default is @samp{-}.
15818 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15819 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15820 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
15821 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
15823 Predefined functions available are:
15826 @item gnus-score-find-single
15827 @findex gnus-score-find-single
15828 Only apply the group's own score file.
15830 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
15831 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
15832 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
15833 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
15834 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
15835 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
15836 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
15837 then a regexp match is done.
15839 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
15840 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
15842 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
15843 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
15844 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
15845 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
15847 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15848 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15849 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
15850 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
15851 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
15855 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
15856 functions will be called with the group name as argument, and all the
15857 returned lists of score files will be applied. These functions can also
15858 return lists of score alists directly. In that case, the functions that
15859 return these non-file score alists should probably be placed before the
15860 ``real'' score file functions, to ensure that the last score file
15861 returned is the local score file. Phu.
15863 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
15864 overall score file, you could use the value
15866 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
15867 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
15870 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
15871 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
15872 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
15873 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
15874 are expired. It's 7 by default.
15876 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15877 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15878 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
15879 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
15880 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
15881 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
15882 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
15885 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15886 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15887 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
15889 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
15890 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
15891 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
15892 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
15893 threading---according to the current value of
15894 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
15895 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
15896 simplified in this manner.
15901 @node Score File Format
15902 @section Score File Format
15903 @cindex score file format
15905 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
15906 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
15907 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
15909 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
15913 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
15915 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
15917 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
15919 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
15924 (mark-and-expunge -10)
15928 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
15929 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
15930 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
15931 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
15935 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
15936 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
15938 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
15939 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
15940 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
15942 Six keys are supported by this alist:
15947 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
15948 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
15949 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
15950 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
15951 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
15952 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
15953 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
15954 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
15955 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
15956 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
15957 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
15958 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
15959 to articles that matches these score entries.
15961 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
15962 score entry has one to four elements.
15966 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
15967 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
15971 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
15972 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
15973 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
15974 is successful. If this element is not present, the
15975 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
15976 instead. This is 1000 by default.
15979 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
15980 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
15981 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
15982 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
15983 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
15986 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
15987 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
15988 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
15989 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
15992 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
15993 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
15994 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
15995 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
15996 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
15997 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
15998 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
15999 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
16000 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
16001 instead, if you feel like.
16004 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
16005 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
16007 These predicates are true if
16010 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
16013 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
16014 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
16021 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
16022 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
16023 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
16024 it's not. I think.)
16026 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
16027 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
16028 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
16029 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
16032 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
16033 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
16034 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
16035 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
16036 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
16037 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
16038 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
16042 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
16043 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
16044 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
16045 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
16046 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
16047 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
16048 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
16049 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
16052 @item Head, Body, All
16053 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
16057 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
16058 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
16059 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
16060 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
16061 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
16062 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
16063 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
16067 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
16068 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
16069 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
16070 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
16071 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
16072 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
16073 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
16074 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
16075 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
16076 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
16077 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
16081 @cindex Score File Atoms
16083 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16084 lower than this number will be marked as read.
16087 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16088 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
16090 @item mark-and-expunge
16091 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16092 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
16095 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
16096 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
16097 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
16098 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
16099 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
16102 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
16103 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
16106 @item exclude-files
16107 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
16108 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
16112 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
16113 ignored when handling global score files.
16116 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
16117 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
16118 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
16119 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
16122 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
16123 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
16124 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
16125 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
16127 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
16131 (mark-and-expunge -100)
16134 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
16135 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
16136 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
16137 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
16138 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
16140 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
16141 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
16142 scoring rules exist.
16145 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
16146 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
16147 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
16148 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
16149 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
16150 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
16151 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
16152 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
16153 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
16154 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
16155 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
16159 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
16160 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
16161 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
16162 file for a number of groups.
16165 @cindex local variables
16166 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
16167 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
16168 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
16169 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
16170 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
16174 @node Score File Editing
16175 @section Score File Editing
16177 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
16178 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
16179 with a mode for that.
16181 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
16182 additional commands:
16187 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
16188 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
16189 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
16190 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
16193 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
16194 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
16195 Insert the current date in numerical format
16196 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
16197 you were wondering.
16200 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
16201 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
16202 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
16203 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
16204 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
16209 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
16211 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
16212 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
16214 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
16215 e} to begin editing score files.
16218 @node Adaptive Scoring
16219 @section Adaptive Scoring
16220 @cindex adaptive scoring
16222 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
16223 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
16224 stupidity, to be precise.
16226 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
16227 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
16228 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
16229 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
16230 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
16231 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
16232 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
16233 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
16234 variable to @code{(word line)}.
16236 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16237 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
16238 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
16239 might look something like this:
16242 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16243 '((gnus-unread-mark)
16244 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
16245 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
16246 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
16247 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
16248 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
16249 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
16250 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
16251 (gnus-ancient-mark)
16252 (gnus-low-score-mark)
16253 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
16256 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
16257 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
16258 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
16259 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
16260 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
16261 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
16264 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
16265 will be applied to each article.
16267 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
16268 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
16269 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
16270 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
16272 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
16273 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
16274 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
16275 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
16277 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
16278 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
16279 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
16280 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
16282 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
16283 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
16284 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
16285 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
16286 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
16287 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
16289 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
16290 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
16291 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
16292 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
16293 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
16294 aspirins afterwards.)
16296 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
16297 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
16298 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
16300 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
16301 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
16302 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
16304 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
16305 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
16306 let you use different rules in different groups.
16308 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
16309 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
16310 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
16313 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
16314 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
16315 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
16316 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
16317 the length of the match is less than
16318 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
16319 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
16322 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16323 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
16324 headers. If you adapt on words, the
16325 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
16326 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
16329 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16330 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
16331 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
16332 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
16333 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
16336 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
16337 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
16338 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
16339 score with 30 points.
16341 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
16342 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
16343 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
16344 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
16345 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
16347 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
16348 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
16349 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
16350 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
16351 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
16353 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
16354 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
16355 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
16356 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
16358 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
16359 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
16360 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
16361 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
16363 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
16364 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
16365 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
16366 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
16367 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
16369 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
16370 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
16371 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
16373 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
16374 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
16375 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
16376 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
16379 @node Home Score File
16380 @section Home Score File
16382 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
16383 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
16384 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
16385 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
16387 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
16388 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
16389 could perhaps use the same home score file.
16391 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
16392 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
16397 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
16401 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
16402 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
16406 A list. The elements in this list can be:
16410 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
16411 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
16414 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
16415 the home score file.
16418 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
16421 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
16426 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
16429 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16430 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
16433 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
16434 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
16436 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
16438 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16439 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
16442 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
16443 Other functions include
16446 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
16447 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
16448 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
16449 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
16453 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
16454 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
16455 their own home score files:
16458 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16459 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
16460 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
16461 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
16462 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
16465 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
16466 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
16467 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
16468 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
16469 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
16471 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
16472 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
16473 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
16474 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
16475 precedence over this variable.
16478 @node Followups To Yourself
16479 @section Followups To Yourself
16481 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
16482 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
16483 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
16484 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
16485 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
16486 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
16490 @item gnus-score-followup-article
16491 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
16492 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
16495 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
16496 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
16497 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
16501 @vindex message-sent-hook
16502 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
16503 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
16505 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
16509 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
16510 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
16514 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16515 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16518 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
16519 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
16524 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
16528 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
16529 is system-dependent.
16533 @section Scoring Tips
16534 @cindex scoring tips
16540 @cindex scoring crossposts
16541 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
16542 the @code{Xref} header.
16544 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
16547 @item Multiple crossposts
16548 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
16549 more than, say, 3 groups:
16552 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
16556 @item Matching on the body
16557 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
16558 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
16559 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
16560 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
16561 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
16562 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
16563 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
16566 @item Marking as read
16567 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
16568 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
16569 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
16573 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
16575 @item Negated character classes
16576 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
16577 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
16578 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
16582 @node Reverse Scoring
16583 @section Reverse Scoring
16584 @cindex reverse scoring
16586 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
16587 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
16588 like this in your score file:
16592 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
16597 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
16598 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
16601 @node Global Score Files
16602 @section Global Score Files
16603 @cindex global score files
16605 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
16606 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
16607 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
16609 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
16610 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
16611 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
16613 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
16614 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
16615 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
16616 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
16617 files are applicable to which group.
16619 To use the score file
16620 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
16621 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
16625 (setq gnus-global-score-files
16626 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
16627 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
16630 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
16632 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
16633 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
16634 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
16635 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
16637 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
16638 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
16640 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
16641 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
16642 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
16643 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
16644 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
16645 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
16647 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
16653 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
16655 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
16657 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
16659 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
16660 lowered out of existence.
16662 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
16663 articles completely.
16666 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
16667 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
16668 old articles for a long time.
16671 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
16672 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
16673 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
16674 holding our breath yet?
16678 @section Kill Files
16681 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
16682 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
16683 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
16685 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
16686 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
16687 files into score files.
16689 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
16690 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
16691 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
16692 that isn't a very good idea.
16694 Normal kill files look like this:
16697 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16698 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
16702 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
16703 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
16705 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
16706 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
16709 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
16714 @kindex M-k (Summary)
16715 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
16716 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
16719 @kindex M-K (Summary)
16720 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
16721 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
16724 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
16729 @kindex M-k (Group)
16730 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
16731 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
16734 @kindex M-K (Group)
16735 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
16736 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
16739 Kill file variables:
16742 @item gnus-kill-file-name
16743 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
16744 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
16745 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
16746 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
16747 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
16748 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
16750 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16751 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16752 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
16753 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
16756 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
16757 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
16758 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
16759 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
16760 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
16761 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
16762 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
16763 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
16764 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
16766 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16767 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16768 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
16773 @node Converting Kill Files
16774 @section Converting Kill Files
16776 @cindex converting kill files
16778 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
16779 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
16780 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
16783 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
16784 You can fetch it from
16785 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
16787 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
16788 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
16789 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
16797 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
16798 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
16799 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
16801 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
16802 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
16803 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
16804 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
16805 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
16806 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
16807 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
16808 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
16812 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
16813 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
16814 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
16815 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
16819 @node Using GroupLens
16820 @subsection Using GroupLens
16822 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
16824 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
16825 better bit in town at the moment.
16827 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
16831 @item gnus-use-grouplens
16832 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
16833 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
16834 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
16836 @item grouplens-pseudonym
16837 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
16838 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
16839 with the Better Bit Bureau.
16841 @item grouplens-newsgroups
16842 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
16843 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
16847 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
16848 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
16849 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
16850 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
16851 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
16852 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
16855 @node Rating Articles
16856 @subsection Rating Articles
16858 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
16859 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
16860 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
16861 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
16864 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
16869 @kindex r (GroupLens)
16870 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
16871 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
16874 @kindex k (GroupLens)
16875 @findex grouplens-score-thread
16876 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
16877 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
16878 threads in rec.humor.
16882 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
16883 the score of the article you're reading.
16888 @kindex n (GroupLens)
16889 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
16890 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
16893 @kindex , (GroupLens)
16894 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
16895 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
16899 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
16900 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
16903 @node Displaying Predictions
16904 @subsection Displaying Predictions
16906 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
16907 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
16908 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
16909 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
16910 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
16912 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
16913 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
16914 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
16915 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
16916 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
16917 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
16918 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
16919 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
16920 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
16921 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
16922 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
16923 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
16924 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
16926 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
16927 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
16928 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
16929 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
16931 The following are valid values for that variable.
16934 @item prediction-spot
16935 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
16938 @item confidence-interval
16939 A numeric confidence interval.
16941 @item prediction-bar
16942 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
16944 @item confidence-bar
16945 Numerical confidence.
16947 @item confidence-spot
16948 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
16950 @item prediction-num
16951 Plain-old numeric value.
16953 @item confidence-plus-minus
16954 Prediction +/- confidence.
16959 @node GroupLens Variables
16960 @subsection GroupLens Variables
16964 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
16965 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
16966 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
16967 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
16970 @item grouplens-bbb-host
16971 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
16974 @item grouplens-bbb-port
16975 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
16977 @item grouplens-score-offset
16978 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
16979 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
16982 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
16983 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
16984 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
16989 @node Advanced Scoring
16990 @section Advanced Scoring
16992 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
16993 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
16994 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
16995 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
16996 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
16998 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
17002 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
17003 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
17004 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
17008 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
17009 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
17011 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
17012 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
17013 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
17014 non-@code{nil} value.
17016 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
17017 operator, and various match operators.
17024 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
17025 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
17026 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
17031 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
17032 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
17033 then this operator will return @code{false}.
17038 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
17039 logical negation of the value of its argument.
17043 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
17044 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
17045 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
17046 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
17047 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
17048 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
17049 the ancestry you want to go.
17051 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
17052 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
17053 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
17054 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
17055 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
17058 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
17059 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
17061 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
17062 when he's talking about Gnus:
17066 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17067 ("subject" "Gnus"))
17073 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
17077 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17084 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
17085 really don't want to read what he's written:
17089 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17090 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
17094 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
17095 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
17096 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
17103 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
17104 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
17105 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
17106 ("body" "white.*socks"))
17110 The possibilities are endless.
17113 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
17114 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
17116 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
17117 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
17118 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
17119 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
17120 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
17121 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
17122 @samp{subject}) first.
17124 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
17125 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
17136 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
17137 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
17143 ("subject" "Gnus")))
17150 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
17151 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
17156 @section Score Decays
17157 @cindex score decays
17160 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
17161 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
17162 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
17163 use them in any sensible way.
17165 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
17166 @findex gnus-decay-score
17167 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
17168 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
17169 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
17170 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
17171 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
17172 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
17173 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
17174 definition of that function:
17177 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
17179 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
17180 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
17183 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
17185 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
17187 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
17190 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
17191 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
17192 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
17193 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
17197 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
17200 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
17203 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
17207 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
17208 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
17209 the new score, which should be an integer.
17211 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
17212 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
17219 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
17220 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
17221 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
17222 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
17223 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
17224 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
17225 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
17226 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
17227 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
17228 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
17229 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
17230 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
17231 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
17232 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
17233 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
17234 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
17235 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
17236 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
17240 @node Process/Prefix
17241 @section Process/Prefix
17242 @cindex process/prefix convention
17244 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
17245 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
17247 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
17248 command to be performed on.
17252 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
17253 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
17254 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
17255 with the current one.
17257 @vindex transient-mark-mode
17258 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
17259 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
17261 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
17262 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
17265 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
17266 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
17268 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
17271 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
17272 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
17273 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
17274 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
17276 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
17277 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
17278 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
17279 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
17280 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
17281 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
17282 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
17283 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
17285 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
17286 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
17287 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
17288 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
17289 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
17293 @section Interactive
17294 @cindex interaction
17298 @item gnus-novice-user
17299 @vindex gnus-novice-user
17300 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
17301 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
17302 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
17303 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
17306 @item gnus-expert-user
17307 @vindex gnus-expert-user
17308 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
17309 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
17310 matter how strange.
17312 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
17313 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
17314 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
17315 is @code{t} by default.
17317 @item gnus-interactive-exit
17318 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
17319 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
17324 @node Symbolic Prefixes
17325 @section Symbolic Prefixes
17326 @cindex symbolic prefixes
17328 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
17329 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
17330 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
17331 rule of 900 to the current article.
17333 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
17334 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
17335 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
17336 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
17337 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
17338 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
17339 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
17341 @kindex M-i (Summary)
17342 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
17343 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
17344 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
17345 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
17346 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
17347 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
17348 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
17349 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
17351 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
17352 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
17353 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
17355 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
17359 @node Formatting Variables
17360 @section Formatting Variables
17361 @cindex formatting variables
17363 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
17364 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
17365 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
17366 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
17367 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
17370 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
17371 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
17372 lots of percentages everywhere.
17375 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
17376 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
17377 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
17378 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
17379 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
17382 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
17383 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
17384 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
17385 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
17386 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
17387 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
17388 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
17389 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
17391 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
17392 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
17394 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
17395 @findex gnus-update-format
17396 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
17397 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
17398 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
17399 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
17403 @node Formatting Basics
17404 @subsection Formatting Basics
17406 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
17407 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
17408 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
17410 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
17411 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
17412 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
17413 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
17414 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
17417 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
17418 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
17419 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
17420 less than 4 characters wide.
17423 @node Mode Line Formatting
17424 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
17426 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
17427 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
17428 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
17429 with the following two differences:
17434 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
17437 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
17438 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
17439 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
17440 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
17441 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
17442 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
17443 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
17448 @node Advanced Formatting
17449 @subsection Advanced Formatting
17451 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
17452 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
17453 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
17454 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
17456 These are the valid modifiers:
17461 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
17465 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
17470 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
17473 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
17478 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
17481 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
17484 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
17487 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
17491 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
17492 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
17493 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
17494 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
17495 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
17496 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
17497 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
17499 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
17500 last operation, padding.
17502 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
17503 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
17504 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
17505 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
17506 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
17507 the look of your lines.
17508 @xref{Compilation}.
17511 @node User-Defined Specs
17512 @subsection User-Defined Specs
17514 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
17515 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
17516 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
17517 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
17518 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
17519 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
17520 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
17521 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
17522 should protect against that.
17524 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
17525 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
17526 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
17527 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
17531 @node Formatting Fonts
17532 @subsection Formatting Fonts
17534 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
17535 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
17536 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
17537 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
17540 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
17541 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
17542 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
17543 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
17544 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
17545 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
17547 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
17548 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
17549 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
17550 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
17551 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
17552 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
17553 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
17554 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
17556 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
17559 ;; Create three face types.
17560 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
17561 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
17563 ;; We want the article count to be in
17564 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
17565 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
17566 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
17568 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
17569 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
17571 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
17572 (setq gnus-group-line-format
17573 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
17576 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
17577 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
17579 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
17580 mode-line variables.
17583 @node Windows Configuration
17584 @section Windows Configuration
17585 @cindex windows configuration
17587 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
17589 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
17590 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
17591 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
17592 @code{t} by default.
17594 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
17595 glitches. Use at your own peril.
17597 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
17598 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
17599 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
17602 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
17603 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
17604 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17608 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
17609 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
17610 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
17611 possible names is listed below.
17613 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
17614 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
17617 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17621 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
17622 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
17623 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
17624 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
17625 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
17626 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
17627 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
17628 size spec per split.
17630 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
17631 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
17632 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
17633 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
17634 present) gets focus.
17636 Here's a more complicated example:
17639 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
17640 (summary 0.25 point)
17641 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
17645 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
17646 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
17647 occupy, not a percentage.
17649 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
17650 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
17651 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
17652 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
17653 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
17656 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
17659 (article (horizontal 1.0
17664 (summary 0.25 point)
17669 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
17670 @code{horizontal} thingie?
17672 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
17673 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
17674 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
17675 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
17676 the screen is to be given to this strip.
17678 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
17679 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
17680 lines from the splits.
17682 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
17686 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
17687 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
17688 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
17689 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
17690 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
17691 size = number | frame-params
17692 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
17695 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
17696 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
17697 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
17698 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
17700 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
17701 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
17702 @cindex window height
17703 @cindex window width
17704 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
17705 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
17706 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
17707 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
17708 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
17709 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
17711 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
17712 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
17713 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
17714 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
17716 @findex gnus-configure-frame
17717 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
17718 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
17719 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
17720 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
17721 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
17722 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
17723 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
17724 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
17725 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
17726 configuration list.
17729 (gnus-configure-frame
17733 (article 0.3 point))
17741 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
17742 @code{frame} split:
17745 (gnus-configure-frame
17748 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
17750 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
17751 (user-position . t)
17752 (left . -1) (top . 1))
17757 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
17758 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
17759 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
17760 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
17761 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
17762 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
17763 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
17764 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
17766 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
17767 be found in its default value.
17769 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
17770 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
17771 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
17775 (message (horizontal 1.0
17776 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
17778 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
17783 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
17784 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
17785 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
17790 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
17791 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
17792 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
17793 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
17794 (name . "Message"))
17795 (message 1.0 point))))
17798 @findex gnus-add-configuration
17799 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
17800 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
17801 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
17802 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
17805 (gnus-add-configuration
17806 '(article (vertical 1.0
17808 (summary .25 point)
17812 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
17813 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
17814 Gnus has been loaded.
17816 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
17817 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
17818 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
17819 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
17820 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
17822 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
17823 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
17824 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
17827 @subsection Example Window Configurations
17831 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
17832 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
17847 (gnus-add-configuration
17850 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
17852 (summary 0.16 point)
17855 (gnus-add-configuration
17858 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
17859 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
17865 @node Faces and Fonts
17866 @section Faces and Fonts
17871 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
17872 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
17873 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
17878 @section Compilation
17879 @cindex compilation
17880 @cindex byte-compilation
17882 @findex gnus-compile
17884 Remember all those line format specification variables?
17885 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
17886 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
17887 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
17888 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
17889 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
17890 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
17891 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
17894 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
17895 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
17896 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
17897 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
17898 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17901 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
17902 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
17903 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
17904 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
17905 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
17910 @section Mode Lines
17913 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
17914 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
17915 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
17916 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
17917 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
17918 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
17919 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
17922 @cindex display-time
17924 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
17925 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
17926 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
17927 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
17928 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
17929 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
17930 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
17931 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
17934 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
17936 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
17937 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
17939 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
17940 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
17941 (length display-time-string)))))
17944 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
17945 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
17946 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
17947 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
17948 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
17951 @node Highlighting and Menus
17952 @section Highlighting and Menus
17954 @cindex highlighting
17957 @vindex gnus-visual
17958 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
17959 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
17960 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
17963 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
17964 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
17967 @item group-highlight
17968 Do highlights in the group buffer.
17969 @item summary-highlight
17970 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
17971 @item article-highlight
17972 Do highlights in the article buffer.
17974 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
17976 Create menus in the group buffer.
17978 Create menus in the summary buffers.
17980 Create menus in the article buffer.
17982 Create menus in the browse buffer.
17984 Create menus in the server buffer.
17986 Create menus in the score buffers.
17988 Create menus in all buffers.
17991 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
17992 buffers, you could say something like:
17995 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
17998 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
18001 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
18004 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
18005 in all Gnus buffers.
18007 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
18010 @item gnus-mouse-face
18011 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
18012 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
18013 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
18017 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
18021 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
18022 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
18023 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
18025 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
18026 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
18027 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
18029 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
18030 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
18031 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
18033 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
18034 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
18035 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
18037 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
18038 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
18039 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
18041 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
18042 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
18043 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
18054 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
18055 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
18056 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
18057 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
18058 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
18062 @vindex gnus-carpal
18063 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
18064 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
18065 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
18070 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
18071 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
18072 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
18074 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
18075 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
18076 Face used on buttons.
18078 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
18079 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
18080 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
18082 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
18083 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
18084 Buttons in the group buffer.
18086 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
18087 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
18088 Buttons in the summary buffer.
18090 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
18091 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
18092 Buttons in the server buffer.
18094 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
18095 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
18096 Buttons in the browse buffer.
18099 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
18100 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
18101 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
18109 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
18110 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
18111 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
18112 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
18113 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
18115 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
18116 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
18117 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
18119 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
18120 been idle for thirty minutes:
18123 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
18126 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
18130 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
18133 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
18134 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
18135 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
18137 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
18138 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
18139 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
18140 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
18142 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
18143 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
18144 @var{idle} minutes.
18146 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
18147 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
18150 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
18151 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
18152 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
18154 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
18155 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
18156 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
18157 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
18159 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
18160 your @file{.gnus} file:
18162 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
18164 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
18167 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
18168 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
18169 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
18170 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
18171 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
18172 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
18173 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
18174 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
18175 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
18176 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
18177 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
18179 @findex gnus-demon-init
18180 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
18181 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
18182 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
18183 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
18184 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
18186 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
18187 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
18188 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
18197 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
18198 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
18200 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
18201 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
18202 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
18203 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
18206 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
18207 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
18208 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
18209 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
18211 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
18212 this will make spam disappear.
18214 There are some variables to customize, of course:
18217 @item gnus-use-nocem
18218 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
18219 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
18222 @item gnus-nocem-groups
18223 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
18224 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
18225 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
18226 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
18228 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
18229 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
18230 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
18231 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
18232 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
18233 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
18235 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
18236 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
18238 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
18239 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
18240 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
18241 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
18242 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
18243 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
18244 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
18245 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
18246 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
18247 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
18249 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
18250 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
18253 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
18256 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
18257 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
18260 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
18263 The specs are applied left-to-right.
18266 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
18267 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
18269 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
18270 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
18271 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
18272 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
18274 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
18275 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
18278 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
18280 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
18288 This might be dangerous, though.
18290 @item gnus-nocem-directory
18291 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
18292 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
18293 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
18295 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18296 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18297 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
18298 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
18299 might then see old spam.
18301 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
18302 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
18303 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
18304 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
18305 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
18308 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18309 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18310 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
18311 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
18315 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
18316 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
18317 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
18318 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
18325 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
18326 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
18327 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
18329 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
18330 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
18331 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
18332 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
18333 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
18334 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
18335 @code{undo} function.
18337 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
18338 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
18339 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
18340 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
18341 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
18342 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
18343 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
18344 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
18345 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
18346 never be totally undoable.
18348 @findex gnus-undo-mode
18349 @vindex gnus-use-undo
18351 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
18352 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
18353 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
18354 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
18359 @section Moderation
18362 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
18363 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
18364 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
18367 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
18371 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
18374 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18376 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
18381 You split your incoming mail by matching on
18382 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
18383 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
18386 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
18387 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
18390 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
18391 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
18395 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
18398 (setq gnus-moderated-list
18399 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
18403 @node XEmacs Enhancements
18404 @section XEmacs Enhancements
18407 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
18411 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
18412 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
18413 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
18414 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
18427 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
18428 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
18429 over your shoulder as you read news.
18432 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
18433 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
18434 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
18435 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
18436 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
18441 @subsubsection Picon Basics
18443 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
18452 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
18453 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
18454 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
18455 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
18456 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
18457 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
18458 @code{GIF} formats.
18461 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18462 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
18463 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
18464 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
18465 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
18467 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18468 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
18469 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
18470 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
18471 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
18472 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18475 @node Picon Requirements
18476 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
18478 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
18479 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
18482 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
18483 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
18484 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
18486 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18487 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
18488 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
18489 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
18490 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
18494 @subsubsection Easy Picons
18496 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
18497 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
18500 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
18501 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
18504 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
18505 containing the Picons databases.
18507 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
18510 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18511 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
18516 @subsubsection Hard Picons
18524 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
18525 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
18526 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
18527 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
18528 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
18533 @item gnus-picons-database
18534 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18535 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
18536 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
18537 subdirectories. This is only useful if
18538 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
18539 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
18541 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18542 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18543 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
18544 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
18545 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
18546 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
18547 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18549 @item gnus-picons-display-where
18550 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18551 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
18552 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
18553 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
18554 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
18555 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
18556 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
18558 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18559 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18560 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
18565 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
18566 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
18568 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
18569 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
18572 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18574 @item gnus-article-display-picons
18575 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18576 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
18577 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
18579 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
18580 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18581 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
18587 @node Picon Useless Configuration
18588 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
18596 The following variables offer further control over how things are
18597 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
18598 don't need to worry about.
18602 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
18603 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
18604 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18605 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
18607 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
18608 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
18609 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
18610 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
18612 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
18613 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
18614 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18615 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
18616 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
18618 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18619 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18620 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
18621 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
18622 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
18623 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
18624 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
18626 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18627 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18628 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
18629 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
18631 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18632 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18633 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
18634 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
18635 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
18636 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
18637 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
18639 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18640 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18641 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
18642 Defaults to @code{nil}.
18644 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
18645 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
18646 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
18647 Defaults to @code{t}.
18649 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18650 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18651 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
18652 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
18654 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
18655 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
18656 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
18658 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18659 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18660 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
18661 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
18663 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
18664 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
18666 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18667 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18668 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
18669 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
18670 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
18671 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
18672 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
18673 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
18684 @subsection Smileys
18689 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
18694 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
18695 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
18697 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
18698 @file{.gnus.el} file:
18701 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
18704 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
18705 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
18706 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
18707 text and maps that to file names.
18709 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
18710 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
18711 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
18712 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
18713 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
18714 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
18716 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
18717 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
18719 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
18720 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
18721 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
18723 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
18724 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
18728 @item smiley-data-directory
18729 @vindex smiley-data-directory
18730 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
18732 @item smiley-flesh-color
18733 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
18734 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
18736 @item smiley-features-color
18737 @vindex smiley-features-color
18738 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18740 @item smiley-tongue-color
18741 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
18742 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
18744 @item smiley-circle-color
18745 @vindex smiley-circle-color
18746 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18748 @item smiley-mouse-face
18749 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
18750 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
18756 @subsection Toolbar
18766 @item gnus-use-toolbar
18767 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
18768 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
18769 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
18770 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
18772 @item gnus-group-toolbar
18773 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
18774 The toolbar in the group buffer.
18776 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
18777 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
18778 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
18780 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18781 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18782 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
18788 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
18791 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18792 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18793 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
18794 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
18795 unusual directory structure.
18797 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18798 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18799 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
18800 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
18802 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18803 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18804 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
18805 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
18806 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
18807 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
18809 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18810 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18811 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
18825 @node Fuzzy Matching
18826 @section Fuzzy Matching
18827 @cindex fuzzy matching
18829 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
18830 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
18832 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
18833 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
18834 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
18836 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
18837 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
18838 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
18839 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
18840 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
18843 @node Thwarting Email Spam
18844 @section Thwarting Email Spam
18848 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
18850 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
18851 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
18852 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
18853 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
18854 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
18855 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
18856 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
18857 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
18860 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
18861 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
18862 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
18863 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
18864 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
18865 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
18869 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
18870 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
18872 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
18873 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
18874 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
18875 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
18876 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
18877 part of the mail address.)
18880 (setq message-default-news-headers
18881 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
18884 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
18885 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
18890 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
18891 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
18892 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
18898 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
18899 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
18900 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
18901 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
18903 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
18904 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
18905 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
18906 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
18907 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
18908 your fancy split rule in this way:
18913 (to "larsi" "misc")
18917 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
18918 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
18919 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
18920 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
18921 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
18923 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
18924 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
18925 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
18926 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
18927 cosmic balance somewhat.
18929 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
18930 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
18931 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
18932 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
18935 @node Various Various
18936 @section Various Various
18942 @item gnus-home-directory
18943 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
18944 defaults to @file{~/}.
18946 @item gnus-directory
18947 @vindex gnus-directory
18948 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
18949 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
18950 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
18952 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
18953 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
18954 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
18955 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
18957 @item gnus-default-directory
18958 @vindex gnus-default-directory
18959 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
18960 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
18961 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
18962 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
18963 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
18964 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
18967 @vindex gnus-verbose
18968 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
18969 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
18970 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
18971 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
18972 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
18974 @item gnus-verbose-backends
18975 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
18976 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
18977 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
18979 @item nnheader-max-head-length
18980 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
18981 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
18982 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
18983 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
18984 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
18985 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
18986 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
18987 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
18988 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
18990 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
18991 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
18992 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
18993 read when doing the operation described above.
18995 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18996 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18998 @cindex invalid characters in file names
18999 @cindex characters in file names
19000 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
19001 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
19002 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
19005 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
19009 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
19010 Windows (phooey) systems.
19012 @item gnus-hidden-properties
19013 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
19014 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
19015 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
19016 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
19018 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
19019 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
19020 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
19021 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
19022 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
19024 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
19025 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
19026 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
19028 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
19029 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
19031 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
19032 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
19033 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
19034 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
19037 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
19046 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
19047 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
19049 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
19051 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
19057 Not because of victories @*
19060 but for the common sunshine,@*
19062 the largess of the spring.
19066 but for the day's work done@*
19067 as well as I was able;@*
19068 not for a seat upon the dais@*
19069 but at the common table.@*
19074 @chapter Appendices
19077 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
19078 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
19079 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
19080 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
19081 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
19082 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
19083 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
19084 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
19092 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
19093 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
19095 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
19096 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
19097 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
19098 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
19099 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
19101 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
19102 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
19103 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
19104 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
19105 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
19106 appropriate name, don't you think?)
19108 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
19109 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
19110 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
19111 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
19114 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
19115 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
19116 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
19117 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
19118 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
19119 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
19120 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
19121 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
19122 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
19126 @node Gnus Versions
19127 @subsection Gnus Versions
19128 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
19130 @cindex September Gnus
19131 @cindex Quassia Gnus
19133 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
19134 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
19135 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
19137 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
19138 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
19140 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
19141 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
19143 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
19144 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
19146 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
19147 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
19150 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
19152 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
19153 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
19154 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
19155 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
19156 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
19157 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
19160 @node Other Gnus Versions
19161 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
19164 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
19165 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
19166 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
19167 @sc{mime} capabilities.
19169 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
19170 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
19171 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
19172 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
19179 What's the point of Gnus?
19181 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
19182 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
19183 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
19184 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
19185 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
19186 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
19187 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
19188 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
19189 keep track of millions of people who post?
19191 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
19192 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
19193 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
19194 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
19195 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
19196 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
19197 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
19198 every one of you to explore and invent.
19200 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
19201 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
19204 @node Compatibility
19205 @subsection Compatibility
19207 @cindex compatibility
19208 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
19209 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
19210 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
19215 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
19219 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
19222 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
19225 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
19226 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
19227 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
19228 important variables have their values copied into their global
19229 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
19230 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
19232 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
19233 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
19234 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
19235 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
19236 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
19240 @cindex highlighting
19241 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
19242 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
19243 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
19244 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
19245 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
19246 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
19249 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
19250 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
19251 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
19252 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
19254 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
19255 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
19256 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
19257 to stop doing it the old way.
19259 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
19261 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
19263 @cindex reporting bugs
19265 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
19266 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
19267 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
19269 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
19270 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
19271 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
19272 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
19277 @subsection Conformity
19279 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
19280 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
19287 There are no known breaches of this standard.
19291 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
19293 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
19294 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
19295 We do have some breaches to this one.
19301 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
19302 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
19303 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
19304 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
19305 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
19310 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
19311 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
19312 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
19313 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
19317 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
19318 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
19323 @subsection Emacsen
19329 Gnus should work on :
19337 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
19341 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
19342 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
19343 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
19344 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
19345 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
19347 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
19348 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
19349 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
19353 @node Gnus Development
19354 @subsection Gnus Development
19356 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
19357 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
19358 propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
19359 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
19360 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
19361 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
19362 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
19363 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
19365 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
19366 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
19367 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
19368 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
19369 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
19372 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
19373 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
19374 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
19375 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
19376 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
19378 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
19379 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
19380 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
19381 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
19382 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
19383 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
19384 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
19385 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
19386 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
19387 can't be assumed to do so.
19392 @subsection Contributors
19393 @cindex contributors
19395 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
19396 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
19397 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
19398 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
19399 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
19400 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
19401 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
19402 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
19403 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
19404 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
19406 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
19412 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
19415 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
19416 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
19417 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
19418 functionality and stuff.
19421 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
19422 well as numerous other things).
19425 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
19428 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
19431 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
19434 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
19435 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
19438 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
19441 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
19442 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19445 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
19448 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
19451 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
19454 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
19457 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
19458 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
19461 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
19464 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
19467 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
19470 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
19474 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
19477 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
19480 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
19483 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
19484 well as autoconf support.
19488 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
19489 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
19491 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
19500 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
19504 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
19514 Alexei V. Barantsev,
19529 Massimo Campostrini,
19534 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
19535 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
19539 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
19542 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
19548 Michael Welsh Duggan,
19553 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
19557 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
19565 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
19567 Michelangelo Grigni,
19571 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
19573 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
19575 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
19582 François Felix Ingrand,
19583 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
19584 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
19586 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
19597 Peter Skov Knudsen,
19598 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
19600 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
19601 Thor Kristoffersen,
19604 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
19622 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
19623 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
19630 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
19635 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
19639 John McClary Prevost,
19645 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
19650 Christian von Roques,
19653 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
19660 Philippe Schnoebelen,
19662 Randal L. Schwartz,
19676 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
19681 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
19697 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
19702 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
19703 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
19704 (550kB and counting).
19706 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
19709 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
19710 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
19714 @subsection New Features
19715 @cindex new features
19718 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
19719 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
19720 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
19721 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
19722 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
19725 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
19726 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
19727 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
19730 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
19732 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
19737 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
19738 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
19741 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
19742 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
19745 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
19748 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
19749 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
19750 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
19753 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
19754 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
19755 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
19756 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19759 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
19760 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19763 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
19764 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
19765 (@pxref{The Active File}).
19768 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
19769 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
19772 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
19773 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
19774 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
19777 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
19778 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
19779 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
19782 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
19783 the @file{.emacs} file.
19786 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
19787 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19790 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
19791 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
19794 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
19795 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19798 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
19799 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
19802 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
19803 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19806 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
19809 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
19810 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
19813 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
19814 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
19817 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
19818 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
19821 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
19824 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
19825 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19828 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
19832 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
19836 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
19837 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
19840 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
19846 @node September Gnus
19847 @subsubsection September Gnus
19851 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
19855 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
19860 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
19861 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
19865 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
19866 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
19870 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
19874 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
19875 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
19878 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
19882 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19885 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
19888 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
19891 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
19895 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
19896 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
19899 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
19903 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
19907 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
19911 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
19915 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
19918 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
19919 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
19922 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
19926 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
19927 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
19930 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
19933 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
19934 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
19935 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19938 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
19942 The Gnus cache is much faster.
19945 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
19949 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
19950 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19953 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
19954 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
19957 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
19958 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19961 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
19962 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
19963 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
19966 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
19967 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
19970 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
19973 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19976 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
19979 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
19982 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
19983 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
19986 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
19990 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
19993 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
19998 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
20001 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
20005 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
20008 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
20012 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
20015 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
20018 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
20019 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
20022 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
20023 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
20027 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
20028 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
20031 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
20035 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
20036 buffer to allow easier treatment.
20039 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
20042 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
20046 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
20050 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
20051 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
20054 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
20058 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
20059 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
20062 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
20063 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
20066 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
20070 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
20073 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
20076 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
20082 @subsubsection Red Gnus
20084 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
20088 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
20095 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
20098 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
20099 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
20102 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
20103 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
20107 Article washing status can be displayed in the
20108 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
20111 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
20114 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
20115 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
20118 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
20122 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
20123 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
20127 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
20128 Server Internals}).
20131 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
20135 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
20138 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
20139 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
20142 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
20143 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
20144 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
20147 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
20148 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
20151 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
20152 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
20155 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
20159 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
20160 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20163 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
20164 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
20167 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
20171 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
20174 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
20178 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
20179 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20182 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
20183 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
20186 A new command for reading collections of documents
20187 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
20188 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
20191 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
20195 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
20196 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
20199 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
20200 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
20201 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
20204 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
20205 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
20209 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
20213 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
20217 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
20222 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
20226 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
20230 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
20231 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
20234 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
20240 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
20242 New features in Gnus 5.6:
20247 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
20248 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
20249 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
20252 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
20253 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
20254 group, which is created automatically.
20257 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
20261 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
20264 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
20265 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
20268 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
20272 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
20275 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
20276 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
20279 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
20282 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
20283 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
20286 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
20287 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
20290 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
20291 control over simplification.
20294 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
20297 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
20301 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
20304 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
20307 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
20308 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
20309 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
20312 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
20313 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
20316 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
20320 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
20321 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
20324 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
20325 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
20328 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
20332 A history of where mails have been split is available.
20335 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
20338 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
20339 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
20342 A new function for citing in Message has been
20343 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
20346 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
20349 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
20353 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
20354 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
20357 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
20358 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
20361 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
20364 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
20368 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
20369 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
20371 New features in Gnus 5.8:
20375 @item The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
20376 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
20378 If you used procmail like in
20381 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
20382 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
20383 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
20384 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
20387 this now has changed to
20391 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
20395 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
20396 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
20398 @item Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
20399 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
20401 @item Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
20402 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
20404 @item @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
20405 called to position point.
20407 @item The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
20408 summary buffers and NOV files.
20410 @item @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
20411 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
20413 @item The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
20414 subtly different manner.
20416 @item New web-based backends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
20417 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
20418 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
20420 @item Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
20428 @section The Manual
20432 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
20433 either @code{texi2dvi}
20435 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
20436 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
20438 to get what you hold in your hands now.
20440 The following conventions have been used:
20445 This is a @samp{string}
20448 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
20451 This is a @file{file}
20454 This is a @code{symbol}
20458 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
20462 (setq flargnoze "yes")
20465 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
20468 (setq flumphel 'yes)
20471 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
20472 ever get them confused.
20476 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
20477 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
20478 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
20479 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
20480 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
20481 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
20482 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
20488 @node On Writing Manuals
20489 @section On Writing Manuals
20491 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
20492 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
20493 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
20494 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
20495 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
20496 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
20499 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
20500 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
20501 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
20504 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
20505 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
20510 @section Terminology
20512 @cindex terminology
20517 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
20518 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
20519 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
20520 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
20521 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
20525 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
20526 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
20527 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
20528 not posting, and replying is not following up.
20532 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
20536 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
20541 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
20542 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
20543 is all done by the backends.
20547 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
20548 default, way of getting news.
20552 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
20553 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
20558 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
20559 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
20563 A message that has been posted as news.
20566 @cindex mail message
20567 A message that has been mailed.
20571 A mail message or news article
20575 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
20580 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
20585 A line from the head of an article.
20589 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
20590 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
20594 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
20595 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
20596 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
20597 normal @sc{head} format.
20601 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
20602 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
20603 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
20604 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
20605 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
20606 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
20608 @item killed groups
20609 @cindex killed groups
20610 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
20611 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
20613 @item zombie groups
20614 @cindex zombie groups
20615 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
20618 @cindex active file
20619 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
20620 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
20621 is rather large, as you might surmise.
20624 @cindex bogus groups
20625 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
20626 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
20627 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
20630 @cindex activating groups
20631 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
20632 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
20633 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
20637 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
20639 @item select method
20640 @cindex select method
20641 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
20644 @item virtual server
20645 @cindex virtual server
20646 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
20647 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
20648 whole is a virtual server.
20652 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
20653 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
20656 @item ephemeral groups
20657 @cindex ephemeral groups
20658 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
20659 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
20660 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
20663 @cindex solid groups
20664 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
20665 group buffer are solid groups.
20667 @item sparse articles
20668 @cindex sparse articles
20669 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
20670 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
20674 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
20675 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
20679 @cindex thread root
20680 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
20681 articles in the thread.
20685 An article that has responses.
20689 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
20693 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
20694 specified by RFC 1153.
20700 @node Customization
20701 @section Customization
20702 @cindex general customization
20704 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
20705 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
20706 for some quite common situations.
20709 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
20710 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
20711 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
20712 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
20716 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
20717 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
20719 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
20720 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
20721 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
20725 @item gnus-read-active-file
20726 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
20727 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
20728 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20729 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
20730 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
20732 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
20733 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
20734 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
20735 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
20739 @node Slow Terminal Connection
20740 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
20742 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
20743 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
20744 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
20748 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
20749 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
20750 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
20751 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
20752 horizontal and vertical recentering.
20754 @item gnus-visible-headers
20755 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
20756 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
20757 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
20758 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
20760 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
20762 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
20763 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
20764 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
20767 @item gnus-use-full-window
20768 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
20769 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
20770 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
20771 want to read them anyway.
20773 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
20774 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
20777 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
20778 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
20779 lines, which might save some time.
20783 @node Little Disk Space
20784 @subsection Little Disk Space
20787 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
20788 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
20792 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
20793 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
20794 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20795 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20798 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
20799 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
20800 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20801 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20804 @item gnus-save-killed-list
20805 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
20806 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
20807 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
20808 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
20814 @subsection Slow Machine
20815 @cindex slow machine
20817 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
20818 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
20820 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20821 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
20823 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
20824 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
20825 summary buffer faster.
20829 @node Troubleshooting
20830 @section Troubleshooting
20831 @cindex troubleshooting
20833 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
20841 Make sure your computer is switched on.
20844 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
20845 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
20849 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
20850 like @samp{T-gnus 6.15.* (based on Oort Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
20851 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
20852 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
20853 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
20856 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
20860 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
20861 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
20862 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
20863 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
20864 something like that.
20867 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
20870 @cindex reporting bugs
20872 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
20874 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
20875 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
20876 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
20877 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
20879 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
20880 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
20881 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
20882 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
20885 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
20886 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
20887 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
20888 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
20889 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
20890 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
20892 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
20893 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
20894 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
20897 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
20898 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
20900 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
20901 @cindex ding mailing list
20902 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
20903 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
20907 @node Gnus Reference Guide
20908 @section Gnus Reference Guide
20910 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
20911 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
20912 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
20913 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
20916 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
20917 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
20918 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
20919 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
20920 and general methods of operation.
20923 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
20924 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
20925 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
20926 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
20927 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
20928 * Group Info:: The group info format.
20929 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
20930 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
20931 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
20935 @node Gnus Utility Functions
20936 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
20937 @cindex Gnus utility functions
20938 @cindex utility functions
20940 @cindex internal variables
20942 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
20943 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
20944 Below is a list of the most common ones.
20948 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
20949 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
20950 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
20952 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
20953 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
20954 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
20956 @item gnus-group-real-name
20957 @findex gnus-group-real-name
20958 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
20961 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
20962 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
20963 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
20964 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
20966 @item gnus-get-info
20967 @findex gnus-get-info
20968 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
20970 @item gnus-group-unread
20971 @findex gnus-group-unread
20972 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
20976 @findex gnus-active
20977 The active entry for @var{group}.
20979 @item gnus-set-active
20980 @findex gnus-set-active
20981 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
20983 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20984 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20985 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
20988 @item gnus-continuum-version
20989 @findex gnus-continuum-version
20990 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
20991 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
20994 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
20995 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
20996 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
20998 @item gnus-news-group-p
20999 @findex gnus-news-group-p
21000 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
21002 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21003 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21004 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
21006 @item gnus-server-to-method
21007 @findex gnus-server-to-method
21008 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
21010 @item gnus-server-equal
21011 @findex gnus-server-equal
21012 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
21014 @item gnus-group-native-p
21015 @findex gnus-group-native-p
21016 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
21018 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
21019 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
21020 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
21022 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
21023 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
21024 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
21026 @item group-group-find-parameter
21027 @findex group-group-find-parameter
21028 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
21029 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
21031 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
21032 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
21033 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
21035 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
21036 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
21037 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
21039 @item gnus-check-backend-function
21040 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
21041 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
21042 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
21045 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
21049 @item gnus-read-method
21050 @findex gnus-read-method
21051 Prompts the user for a select method.
21056 @node Backend Interface
21057 @subsection Backend Interface
21059 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
21060 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
21061 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
21062 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
21063 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
21064 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
21066 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
21067 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
21068 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
21069 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
21070 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
21071 been opened, the function should fail.
21073 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
21074 name. Take this example:
21078 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
21079 (nntp-port-number 4324))
21082 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
21083 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
21085 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
21086 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
21087 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
21089 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
21090 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
21091 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
21093 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
21094 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
21095 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
21096 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
21097 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
21098 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
21101 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
21102 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
21103 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
21104 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
21107 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
21110 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
21113 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
21114 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
21115 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
21116 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
21117 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
21118 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
21122 @node Required Backend Functions
21123 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
21127 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
21129 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
21130 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
21131 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
21132 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
21134 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
21135 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
21136 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
21137 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
21139 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
21140 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
21141 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
21142 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
21143 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
21144 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
21145 number, do maximum fetches.
21147 Here's an example HEAD:
21150 221 1056 Article retrieved.
21151 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
21152 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
21153 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
21154 Subject: Re: Something very droll
21155 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
21156 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
21158 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
21159 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
21160 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
21164 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
21165 these in the data buffer.
21167 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
21171 head = error / valid-head
21172 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
21173 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
21174 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
21175 header = <text> eol
21178 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
21179 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
21183 nov-buffer = *nov-line
21184 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
21185 field = <text except TAB>
21188 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
21192 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
21194 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
21195 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
21197 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
21198 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
21199 server. In fact, it should do so.
21201 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
21202 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
21205 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
21207 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
21208 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
21211 There should be no data returned.
21214 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
21216 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
21217 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
21218 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
21219 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
21221 There should be no data returned.
21224 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
21226 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
21227 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
21228 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
21229 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
21231 There should be no data returned.
21234 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
21236 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
21238 There should be no data returned.
21241 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
21243 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
21244 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
21245 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
21246 it would be nice if that were possible.
21248 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
21249 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
21250 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
21251 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
21252 into its article buffer.
21254 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
21255 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
21256 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
21257 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
21258 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
21259 on successful article retrieval.
21262 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
21264 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
21265 making @var{group} the current group.
21267 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
21270 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
21273 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
21276 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
21277 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
21278 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
21279 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
21280 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
21281 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
21282 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
21283 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
21286 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
21287 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
21288 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
21292 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21294 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
21295 a no-op on most backends.
21297 There should be no data returned.
21300 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
21302 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
21305 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
21308 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
21309 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
21312 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
21313 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
21316 active-file = *active-line
21317 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
21319 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
21322 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
21323 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
21324 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
21327 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
21329 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
21330 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
21331 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
21332 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
21333 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
21334 clear if the posting could not be completed.
21336 There should be no result data from this function.
21341 @node Optional Backend Functions
21342 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
21346 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
21348 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
21349 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
21350 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
21352 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
21353 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
21354 former is in the same format as the data from
21355 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
21356 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
21359 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
21363 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
21365 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
21366 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
21367 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
21368 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
21369 should return the (altered) group info.
21371 There should be no result data from this function.
21374 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
21376 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
21377 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
21378 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
21379 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
21380 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
21381 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
21382 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
21383 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
21385 There should be no result data from this function.
21388 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
21390 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
21391 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
21392 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
21393 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
21394 propagate the mark information to the server.
21396 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
21399 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
21402 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
21403 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
21404 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
21405 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
21406 mentioned) marks. MARK is a list of marks; where each mark is a symbol.
21407 Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
21408 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
21409 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
21410 not limit itself to these.
21412 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
21413 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
21414 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
21415 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
21417 An example action list:
21420 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
21421 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
21422 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
21425 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
21426 mark on (currently not used for anything).
21428 There should be no result data from this function.
21430 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
21432 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
21433 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
21434 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
21435 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
21436 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
21438 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
21439 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
21440 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
21443 There should be no result data from this function.
21446 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
21448 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
21449 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
21450 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
21451 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
21452 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
21453 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
21454 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
21456 There should be no result data from this function.
21459 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
21461 The result data from this function should be a description of
21465 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
21467 description = <text>
21470 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
21472 The result data from this function should be the description of all
21473 groups available on the server.
21476 description-buffer = *description-line
21480 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
21482 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
21483 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
21484 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
21487 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21489 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
21491 There should be no return data.
21494 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
21496 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
21497 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
21498 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
21499 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
21500 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
21503 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
21506 There should be no result data returned.
21509 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
21512 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
21513 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
21515 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
21516 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
21517 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
21518 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
21519 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
21520 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
21522 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
21523 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
21526 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21527 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21529 There should be no data returned.
21532 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
21534 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
21535 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
21536 this function in short order.
21538 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21539 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21541 There should be no data returned.
21544 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
21546 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
21547 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
21549 There should be no data returned.
21552 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
21554 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
21555 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
21556 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
21558 There should be no data returned.
21561 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
21563 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
21564 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
21566 There should be no data returned.
21571 @node Error Messaging
21572 @subsubsection Error Messaging
21574 @findex nnheader-report
21575 @findex nnheader-get-report
21576 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
21577 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
21578 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
21579 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
21580 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
21581 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
21584 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
21586 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
21589 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
21590 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
21591 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
21592 takes one argument---the server symbol.
21594 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
21595 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
21596 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
21599 @node Writing New Backends
21600 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
21602 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
21603 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
21604 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
21605 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
21606 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
21609 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
21610 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
21611 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
21613 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
21614 package called @code{nnoo}.
21616 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
21617 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
21623 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
21624 parameters. For instance:
21627 (nnoo-declare nndir
21631 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
21632 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
21635 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
21636 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
21637 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
21639 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
21640 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
21641 a function in those backends.
21644 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21645 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21646 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21649 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
21650 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
21651 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
21653 @item nnoo-define-basics
21654 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
21658 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21662 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
21663 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
21664 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
21666 @item nnoo-map-functions
21667 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
21668 functions from the parent backends.
21671 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21672 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21673 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
21676 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
21677 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
21678 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
21679 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
21682 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
21683 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
21684 haven't already been defined.
21690 nnmh-request-newgroups)
21694 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
21695 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
21696 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
21701 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
21704 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
21705 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
21709 (require 'nnheader)
21713 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
21715 (nnoo-declare nndir
21718 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21719 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21720 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21722 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
21723 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
21726 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
21728 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
21729 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
21730 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
21732 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
21733 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
21735 ;;; Interface functions.
21737 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21739 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
21740 (setq nndir-directory
21741 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
21743 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
21744 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
21745 (push `(nndir-current-group
21746 ,(file-name-nondirectory
21747 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21749 (push `(nndir-top-directory
21750 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21752 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
21754 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21755 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21756 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21757 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
21758 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
21762 nnmh-status-message
21764 nnmh-request-newgroups))
21770 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21771 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21773 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
21774 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
21775 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
21776 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
21778 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
21779 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
21784 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
21787 The abilities can be:
21791 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
21793 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
21795 This backend supports both mail and news.
21797 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
21800 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
21801 articles and groups.
21803 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
21804 true for almost all backends.
21805 @item prompt-address
21806 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
21807 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
21808 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
21812 @node Mail-like Backends
21813 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
21815 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
21816 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
21817 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
21818 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
21821 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
21822 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
21823 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
21826 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
21827 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
21830 This function takes four parameters.
21834 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
21837 @item exit-function
21838 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
21840 @item temp-directory
21841 Where the temporary files should be stored.
21844 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
21845 performed for one group only.
21848 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
21849 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
21850 find the article number assigned to this article.
21852 The function also uses the following variables:
21853 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
21854 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
21855 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
21856 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
21860 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
21861 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
21865 @node Score File Syntax
21866 @subsection Score File Syntax
21868 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
21869 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
21870 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
21872 Here's a typical score file:
21876 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
21883 BNF definition of a score file:
21886 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
21887 element = rule / atom
21888 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
21889 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
21890 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
21891 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
21893 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
21894 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
21895 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
21896 date-header = "date"
21897 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21898 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21899 score = "nil" / <integer>
21900 date = "nil" / <natural number>
21901 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
21902 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
21903 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
21904 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
21905 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21906 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21907 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
21908 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21909 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
21910 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
21911 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
21912 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
21913 exclude-files / read-only / touched
21914 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
21915 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
21916 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
21917 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
21918 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
21919 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
21920 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
21921 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
21922 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
21923 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
21924 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
21925 eval = "eval" space <form>
21926 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
21929 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
21932 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
21933 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
21934 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
21935 one looong line, then that's ok.
21937 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
21938 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21942 @subsection Headers
21944 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
21945 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
21946 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
21947 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
21949 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
21950 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
21951 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
21952 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
21953 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
21954 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
21955 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
21957 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
21958 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
21959 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
21960 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
21961 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
21963 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
21964 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
21970 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
21971 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
21973 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
21974 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
21975 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
21976 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
21978 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
21982 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
21985 is transformed into
21988 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
21991 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
21992 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
21995 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
21998 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
21999 is slightly tricky:
22002 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
22008 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
22011 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
22017 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
22024 and is equal to the previous range.
22026 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
22027 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
22028 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
22032 range = simple-range / normal-range
22033 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
22034 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
22035 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
22036 number *[ " " contents ]
22039 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
22040 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
22041 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
22042 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
22043 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
22048 @subsection Group Info
22050 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
22051 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
22052 describes the group.
22054 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
22055 second is a more complex one:
22058 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
22060 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
22061 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
22063 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
22066 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
22067 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
22068 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
22069 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
22070 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
22071 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
22072 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
22073 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
22074 this section is about.
22076 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
22077 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
22078 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
22080 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
22083 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
22084 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
22085 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22086 group = quote <string> quote
22087 ralevel = rank / level
22088 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22089 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
22090 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22092 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
22093 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
22094 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
22095 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
22098 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
22099 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
22102 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
22103 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
22106 @item gnus-info-group
22107 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
22108 @findex gnus-info-group
22109 @findex gnus-info-set-group
22110 Get/set the group name.
22112 @item gnus-info-rank
22113 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
22114 @findex gnus-info-rank
22115 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
22116 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
22118 @item gnus-info-level
22119 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
22120 @findex gnus-info-level
22121 @findex gnus-info-set-level
22122 Get/set the group level.
22124 @item gnus-info-score
22125 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
22126 @findex gnus-info-score
22127 @findex gnus-info-set-score
22128 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
22130 @item gnus-info-read
22131 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
22132 @findex gnus-info-read
22133 @findex gnus-info-set-read
22134 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
22136 @item gnus-info-marks
22137 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
22138 @findex gnus-info-marks
22139 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
22140 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
22142 @item gnus-info-method
22143 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
22144 @findex gnus-info-method
22145 @findex gnus-info-set-method
22146 Get/set the group select method.
22148 @item gnus-info-params
22149 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
22150 @findex gnus-info-params
22151 @findex gnus-info-set-params
22152 Get/set the group parameters.
22155 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
22156 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
22158 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
22159 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
22160 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
22161 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
22164 @node Extended Interactive
22165 @subsection Extended Interactive
22166 @cindex interactive
22167 @findex gnus-interactive
22169 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
22170 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
22171 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
22174 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
22175 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
22180 The best thing to do would have been to implement
22181 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
22182 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
22183 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
22184 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
22185 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
22186 @code{interactive}.
22188 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
22193 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
22194 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
22198 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
22199 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
22200 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
22203 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
22207 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
22211 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
22217 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
22218 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
22222 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
22223 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
22224 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
22226 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
22227 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
22228 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
22229 Gnus, that's very useful.
22231 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
22232 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
22233 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
22234 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
22235 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
22236 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
22237 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
22238 following function:
22241 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
22245 (,function ,@@args))
22249 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
22250 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
22251 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
22254 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
22255 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
22256 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
22258 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
22259 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
22260 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
22263 @node Various File Formats
22264 @subsection Various File Formats
22267 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
22268 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
22272 @node Active File Format
22273 @subsubsection Active File Format
22275 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
22276 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
22279 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
22282 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
22283 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
22284 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
22285 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
22286 no.general 1000 900 y
22289 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
22292 active = *group-line
22293 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
22294 group = <non-white-space string>
22296 high-number = <non-negative integer>
22297 low-number = <positive integer>
22298 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
22301 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
22302 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
22305 @node Newsgroups File Format
22306 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
22308 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
22309 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
22310 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
22313 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
22314 Here's the definition:
22318 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
22319 group = <non-white-space string>
22321 description = <string>
22326 @node Emacs for Heathens
22327 @section Emacs for Heathens
22329 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
22330 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
22331 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
22332 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
22333 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
22334 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
22335 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
22339 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
22340 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
22345 @subsection Keystrokes
22349 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
22352 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
22355 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
22356 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
22357 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
22358 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
22359 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
22360 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
22362 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
22363 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
22364 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
22365 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
22366 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
22367 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
22368 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
22370 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
22371 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
22372 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
22373 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
22374 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
22375 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
22376 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
22378 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
22379 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
22380 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
22381 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
22382 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
22388 @subsection Emacs Lisp
22390 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
22391 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
22392 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
22393 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
22395 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
22396 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
22397 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
22398 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
22399 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
22400 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
22401 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
22404 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
22405 write the following:
22408 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
22411 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
22412 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
22413 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
22416 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
22417 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
22418 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
22419 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
22420 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
22422 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
22423 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
22424 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
22428 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
22432 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
22435 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
22436 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
22439 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
22442 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
22443 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
22446 @include gnus-faq.texi
22467 % LocalWords: Backend BNF mucho Backends backends detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
22468 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
22469 % LocalWords: nnmbox backend newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
22470 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
22471 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref