4 @settitle T-gnus 6.17 Manual
10 Copyright (c) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
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333 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
338 @setchapternewpage odd
343 @title T-gnus 6.17 Manual
345 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
347 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
353 @top The gnus Newsreader
357 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using T-gnus. The news
358 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
359 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
362 T-gnus provides @acronym{MIME} features based on @acronym{SEMI} API. So
363 T-gnus supports your right to read strange messages including big images
364 or other various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
365 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
366 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities. Oh,
367 if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
369 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.17.
380 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
381 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
383 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
384 being accused of plagiarism:
386 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
387 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
388 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
389 can even read news with it!
391 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
392 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
393 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
394 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
395 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
401 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
402 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
403 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
404 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
405 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
406 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
407 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
408 * Various:: General purpose settings.
409 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
410 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
411 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
412 * Key Index:: Key Index.
414 Other related manuals
416 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
417 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
418 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
419 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
420 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
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 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
434 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
435 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
436 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
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 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
451 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
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 Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
469 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
473 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
474 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
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.
485 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
489 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
490 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
491 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
492 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
493 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
494 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
495 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
496 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
497 * Threading:: How threads are made.
498 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
499 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
500 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
501 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
502 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
503 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
504 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
505 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
506 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
507 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
508 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
509 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
510 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
511 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
512 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
513 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
514 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
515 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
516 or reselecting the current group.
517 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
518 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
519 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
520 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
522 Summary Buffer Format
524 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
525 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
526 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
527 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
531 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
532 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
534 Reply, Followup and Post
536 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
537 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
538 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
539 * Canceling and Superseding::
543 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
544 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
545 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
549 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
550 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
551 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
555 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
556 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
558 Customizing Threading
560 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
561 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
562 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
563 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
567 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
568 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
569 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
570 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
571 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
572 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
576 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
577 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
578 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
582 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
583 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
584 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
585 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
586 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
587 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
588 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
589 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
590 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
591 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
592 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
594 Alternative Approaches
596 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
597 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
599 Various Summary Stuff
601 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
602 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
603 * Summary Generation Commands::
604 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
608 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
609 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
610 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
611 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
612 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
616 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
617 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
618 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
619 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
620 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
621 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
622 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
623 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
624 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
628 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
629 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
630 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
631 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
632 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
633 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
634 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
635 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
639 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
640 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
641 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
642 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
643 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
644 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
645 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
649 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
650 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
654 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
655 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
656 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
660 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
661 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
662 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
663 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
664 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
665 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
666 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
667 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
668 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
669 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
670 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
671 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
672 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
676 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
677 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
678 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
680 Choosing a Mail Back End
682 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
683 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
684 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
685 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
686 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
687 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
688 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
693 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
694 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
695 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
696 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
697 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
698 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
702 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
703 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
704 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
705 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
706 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
707 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
711 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
712 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
713 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
714 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
715 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
719 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
723 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
724 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
725 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
729 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
730 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
734 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
735 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
736 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
737 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
738 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
739 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
740 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
741 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
742 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
743 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
744 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
745 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
746 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
750 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
751 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
752 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
756 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
757 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
758 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
762 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
763 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
764 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
765 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
766 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
767 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
768 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
769 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
770 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
771 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
772 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
773 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
774 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
775 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
776 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
777 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
781 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
782 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
783 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
787 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
788 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
789 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
790 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
791 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
792 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
793 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
794 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
795 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
796 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
797 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
798 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
799 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
800 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
801 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
802 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
803 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
804 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
805 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
806 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
810 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
811 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
812 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
813 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
814 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
815 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
816 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
817 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
821 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
822 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
823 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
824 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
825 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
829 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
830 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
831 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
832 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
833 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
834 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
836 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
838 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
839 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
840 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
841 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
842 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
844 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
845 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
847 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
849 * SpamAssassin backend::
850 * ifile spam filtering::
851 * spam-stat spam filtering::
853 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
855 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
857 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
858 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
859 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
863 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
864 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
865 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
866 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
867 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
868 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
869 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
870 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
871 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
875 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
876 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
877 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
878 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
879 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
880 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
881 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
882 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
883 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
887 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
888 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
889 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
890 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
891 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
892 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
893 * No Gnus:: Lars, FIXME!
897 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
898 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
899 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
900 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
904 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
905 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
906 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
907 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
908 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
909 * Group Info:: The group info format.
910 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
911 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
912 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
916 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
917 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
918 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
919 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
920 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
921 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
925 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
926 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
930 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
931 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
937 @chapter Starting gnus
942 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
943 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
946 @findex gnus-other-frame
947 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
948 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
949 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
951 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
952 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
953 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
955 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
956 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
959 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
960 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
961 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
962 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
963 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
964 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
965 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
966 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
967 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
968 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
969 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
973 @node Finding the News
974 @section Finding the News
977 @vindex gnus-select-method
979 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
980 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
981 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
982 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
985 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
986 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
989 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
992 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
995 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
998 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
999 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1000 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1002 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1004 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1005 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
1006 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1007 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1008 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1009 If that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1010 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1012 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1013 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1014 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1015 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1017 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1018 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1019 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1020 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1021 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
1022 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1023 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1024 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1025 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1028 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1030 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1031 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1032 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1033 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1034 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1035 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1037 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1039 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1040 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1041 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1042 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1043 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1044 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1047 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1048 you would typically set this variable to
1051 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1055 @node The First Time
1056 @section The First Time
1057 @cindex first time usage
1059 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1060 be subscribed by default.
1062 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1063 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1064 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1065 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1068 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1069 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1070 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1072 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1073 help you with most common problems.
1075 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1076 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1080 @node The Server is Down
1081 @section The Server is Down
1082 @cindex server errors
1084 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1085 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1086 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1088 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1089 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1090 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1091 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1092 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1093 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1094 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1096 @findex gnus-no-server
1097 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1099 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1100 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1101 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1102 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1103 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1104 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1105 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1109 @section Slave Gnusae
1112 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1113 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1114 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1115 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1117 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1118 @file{.newsrc} file.
1120 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1121 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1122 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1123 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1124 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1125 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1126 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1129 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1130 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1131 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1132 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1133 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1134 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1135 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1136 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1138 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1139 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1141 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1142 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1143 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1144 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1145 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1147 @node Fetching a Group
1148 @section Fetching a Group
1149 @cindex fetching a group
1151 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1152 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1153 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1154 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1155 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1156 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1162 @cindex subscription
1164 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1165 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1166 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1167 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1168 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1169 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1170 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1171 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1172 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1175 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1176 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1177 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1181 @node Checking New Groups
1182 @subsection Checking New Groups
1184 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1185 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1186 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1187 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1188 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1189 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1190 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1191 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1192 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1193 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1195 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1196 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1197 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1198 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1199 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1200 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1201 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1202 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1203 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1204 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1205 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1207 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1208 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1209 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1210 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1211 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1212 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1215 @node Subscription Methods
1216 @subsection Subscription Methods
1218 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1219 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1220 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1222 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1223 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1225 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1229 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1230 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1231 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1232 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1233 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1235 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1236 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1237 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1238 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1240 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1241 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1242 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1244 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1245 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1246 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1247 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1248 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1249 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1250 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1251 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1252 up. Or something like that.
1254 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1255 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1256 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1257 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1258 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1260 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1261 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1262 Kill all new groups.
1264 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1265 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1266 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1267 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1268 topic parameter that looks like
1274 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1277 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1282 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1283 A closely related variable is
1284 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1285 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1286 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1287 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1290 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1291 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1292 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1293 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1296 @node Filtering New Groups
1297 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1299 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1300 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1301 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1304 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1307 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1308 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1309 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1310 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1311 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1312 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1313 subscribing these groups.
1314 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1315 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1317 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1318 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1319 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1320 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1321 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1322 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1323 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1324 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1326 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1327 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1328 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1329 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1330 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1331 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1332 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1333 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1334 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1335 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1338 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1339 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1342 @node Changing Servers
1343 @section Changing Servers
1344 @cindex changing servers
1346 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1347 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1348 very flaky and you want to use another.
1350 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1351 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1355 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1356 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1357 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1358 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1361 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1362 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1363 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1364 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1366 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1367 @findex gnus-change-server
1368 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1369 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1370 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1371 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1372 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1374 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1375 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1376 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1377 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1378 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1380 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1381 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1382 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1383 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1384 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1385 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1387 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1388 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1389 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1390 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1392 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1393 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1394 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1395 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1396 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1397 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1398 cache for all groups).
1402 @section Startup Files
1403 @cindex startup files
1408 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1409 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1411 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1412 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1413 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1414 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1415 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1416 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1417 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1419 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1420 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1421 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1422 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1423 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1424 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1426 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1427 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1428 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1429 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1430 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1431 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1432 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1433 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1434 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1435 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1437 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1438 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1439 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1440 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1441 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1442 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1443 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1444 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1445 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1446 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1447 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1448 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1450 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1451 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1452 @vindex version-control
1453 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1454 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1455 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1456 If you want version control for this file, set
1457 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1458 @code{version-control} variable.
1460 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1461 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1462 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1463 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1464 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1465 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1466 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1467 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1468 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1469 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1472 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1473 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1475 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1476 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1479 @vindex gnus-init-file
1480 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1481 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1482 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1483 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1484 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1485 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1486 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1487 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1488 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1489 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1495 @cindex dribble file
1498 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1499 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1500 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1501 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1502 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1505 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1506 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1509 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1510 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1511 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1513 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1514 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1515 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1516 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1517 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1518 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1520 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1521 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1522 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1525 @node The Active File
1526 @section The Active File
1528 @cindex ignored groups
1530 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1531 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1532 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1534 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1535 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1536 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1537 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1538 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1539 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1540 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1543 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1544 @c if you set it to anything else.
1546 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1548 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1549 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1550 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1552 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1553 you actually subscribe to.
1555 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1556 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1557 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1558 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1560 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1561 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1562 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1563 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1564 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1565 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1567 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1568 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1569 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1572 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1573 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1574 @acronym{NNTP} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1575 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1576 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1577 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1579 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1580 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1582 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1583 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1585 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1586 secondary select methods.
1589 @node Startup Variables
1590 @section Startup Variables
1594 @item gnus-load-hook
1595 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1596 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1597 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1598 times you start gnus.
1600 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1601 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1602 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1604 @item gnus-startup-hook
1605 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1606 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1608 @item gnus-started-hook
1609 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1610 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1613 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1614 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1615 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1616 generating the group buffer.
1618 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1619 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1620 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1621 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1622 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1623 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1624 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1625 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1627 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1628 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1629 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1630 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1631 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1632 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1634 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1635 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1636 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1638 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1639 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1640 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1642 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1643 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1644 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1645 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1651 @chapter Group Buffer
1652 @cindex group buffer
1654 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1656 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1657 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1658 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1659 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1660 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1661 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1662 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1663 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1664 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1665 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1666 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1667 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1668 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1669 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1670 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1671 @c human rights at 9...
1674 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1675 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1676 long as gnus is active.
1680 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1681 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1682 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1683 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1684 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1685 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1686 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1687 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1693 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1694 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1695 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1696 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1697 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1698 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1699 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1700 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1701 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1702 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1703 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1704 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1705 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1706 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1707 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1708 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1709 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1713 @node Group Buffer Format
1714 @section Group Buffer Format
1717 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1718 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1719 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1723 @node Group Line Specification
1724 @subsection Group Line Specification
1725 @cindex group buffer format
1727 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1728 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1730 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1733 25: news.announce.newusers
1734 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1739 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1740 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1741 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1742 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1744 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1745 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1746 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1747 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1748 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1749 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1751 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1753 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1754 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1755 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1756 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1757 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1759 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1760 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1761 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1763 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1768 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1771 Whether the group is subscribed.
1774 Level of subscribedness.
1777 Number of unread articles.
1780 Number of dormant articles.
1783 Number of ticked articles.
1786 Number of read articles.
1789 Number of unseen articles.
1792 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1793 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1795 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1796 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1797 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1798 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1799 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1800 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1801 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1802 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1805 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1808 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1817 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1818 comment element in the group parameters.
1821 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1822 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1823 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1827 @samp{m} if moderated.
1830 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1836 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1842 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1846 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1849 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1850 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1851 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1852 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1853 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1856 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1858 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1862 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1865 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1869 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1870 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1871 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1872 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1875 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1876 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1877 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1878 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1879 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1880 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1885 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1886 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1887 group, or a bogus native group.
1890 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1891 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1892 @cindex group mode line
1894 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1895 The mode line can be changed by setting
1896 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1897 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1901 The native news server.
1903 The native select method.
1907 @node Group Highlighting
1908 @subsection Group Highlighting
1909 @cindex highlighting
1910 @cindex group highlighting
1912 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1913 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1914 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1915 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1916 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1918 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1922 (cond (window-system
1923 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1924 (defface my-group-face-1
1925 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1926 (defface my-group-face-2
1927 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1928 "Second group face")
1929 (defface my-group-face-3
1930 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1931 (defface my-group-face-4
1932 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1933 (defface my-group-face-5
1934 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1936 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1937 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1938 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1939 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1940 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1941 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1944 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1946 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1953 The number of unread articles in the group.
1957 Whether the group is a mail group.
1959 The level of the group.
1961 The score of the group.
1963 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1965 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1966 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1968 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1969 topic being inserted.
1972 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1973 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1974 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1976 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1977 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1978 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1979 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1980 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1983 @node Group Maneuvering
1984 @section Group Maneuvering
1985 @cindex group movement
1987 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1988 expected, hopefully.
1994 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1995 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1996 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2002 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2003 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2004 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2008 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2009 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2013 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2014 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2018 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2019 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2020 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2024 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2025 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2026 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2029 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2035 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2036 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2037 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2042 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2043 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2044 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2048 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2049 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2050 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2053 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2054 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2055 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2056 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2060 @node Selecting a Group
2061 @section Selecting a Group
2062 @cindex group selection
2067 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2068 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2069 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2070 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2071 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2072 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2073 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2074 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2075 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2076 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2078 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2079 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2080 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2082 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2083 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2088 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2089 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2090 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2091 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2092 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2096 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2097 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2098 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2099 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2100 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2101 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2102 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2103 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2104 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2105 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2108 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2109 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2110 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2111 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2112 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2115 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2116 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2117 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2118 doing any processing of its contents
2119 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2120 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2121 manner will have no permanent effects.
2125 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2126 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2127 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2128 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2129 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2130 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2131 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2132 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2133 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2134 most recently will be fetched.
2136 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2137 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2138 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2141 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2142 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2143 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2144 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2145 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2146 Which article this is is controlled by the
2147 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2153 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2156 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2159 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2161 @item unseen-or-unread
2162 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2163 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2167 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2171 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2172 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2174 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2175 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2176 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2177 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2181 @node Subscription Commands
2182 @section Subscription Commands
2183 @cindex subscription
2191 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2192 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2193 Toggle subscription to the current group
2194 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2200 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2201 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2202 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2203 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2209 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2210 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2211 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2217 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2218 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2221 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2222 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2223 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2224 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2225 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2231 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2232 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2236 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2237 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2240 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2241 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2242 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2243 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2244 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2245 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2246 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2247 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2248 @file{.newsrc} file.
2252 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2262 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2263 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2264 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2265 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2266 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2267 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2272 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2273 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2274 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2278 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2279 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2280 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2282 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2283 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2284 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2285 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2286 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2287 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2294 @section Group Levels
2298 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2299 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2300 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2301 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2302 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2304 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2310 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2311 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2312 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2313 prompted for a level.
2316 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2317 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2318 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2319 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2320 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2321 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2322 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2323 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2324 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2325 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2326 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2327 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2328 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2329 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2330 reasons of efficiency.
2332 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2333 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2335 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2336 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2337 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2338 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2339 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2340 groups are hidden, in a way.
2342 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2343 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2344 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2345 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2346 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2347 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2349 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2350 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2351 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2352 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2353 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2354 list of killed groups.)
2356 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2357 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2358 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2360 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2361 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2362 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2363 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2364 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2365 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2366 relevant valid ranges.
2368 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2369 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2370 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2371 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2372 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2373 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2376 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2377 one with the best level.
2379 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2380 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2381 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2384 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2385 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2386 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2387 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2390 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2391 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2392 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2393 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2395 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2396 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2397 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2398 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2399 to 5. The default is 6.
2403 @section Group Score
2408 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2409 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2410 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2413 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2414 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2415 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2416 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2417 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2418 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2419 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2420 least significant part.))
2422 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2423 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2424 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2425 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2426 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2427 action after each summary exit, you can add
2428 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2429 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2430 slow things down somewhat.
2433 @node Marking Groups
2434 @section Marking Groups
2435 @cindex marking groups
2437 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2438 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2439 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2440 bidding on those groups.
2442 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2443 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2444 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2452 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2453 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2459 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2460 Remove the mark from the current group
2461 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2465 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2466 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2470 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2471 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2475 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2476 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2480 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2481 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2482 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2485 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2487 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2488 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2489 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2490 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2491 the command to be executed.
2494 @node Foreign Groups
2495 @section Foreign Groups
2496 @cindex foreign groups
2498 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2499 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2500 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2501 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2508 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2509 @cindex making groups
2510 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2511 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2512 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2516 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2517 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2518 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2522 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2523 @cindex renaming groups
2524 Rename the current group to something else
2525 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2526 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2532 @findex gnus-group-customize
2533 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2537 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2538 @cindex renaming groups
2539 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2540 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2544 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2545 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2546 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2550 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2551 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2552 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2556 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2558 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2559 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2564 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2565 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2569 @cindex (ding) archive
2570 @cindex archive group
2571 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2572 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2573 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2574 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2575 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2576 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2577 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2581 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2583 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2584 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2585 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2586 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2590 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2592 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2593 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2594 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2598 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2599 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2601 Make a group based on some file or other
2602 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2603 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2604 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2605 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2606 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2607 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2608 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2609 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2610 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2614 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2615 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2616 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2617 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2621 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2625 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2626 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2627 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2628 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2629 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2630 @xref{Web Searches}.
2632 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2633 to a particular group by using a match string like
2634 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2638 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2639 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2640 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2644 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2645 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2646 This function will delete the current group
2647 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2648 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2649 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2650 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2651 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2655 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2656 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2657 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2661 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2662 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2663 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2666 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2669 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2670 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2671 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2672 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2673 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2674 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2678 @node Group Parameters
2679 @section Group Parameters
2680 @cindex group parameters
2682 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2683 Here's an example group parameter list:
2686 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2690 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2691 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2692 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2693 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2695 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2696 is an alist of regexps and values.
2698 The following group parameters can be used:
2703 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2706 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2709 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2710 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2711 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2712 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2713 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2715 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2716 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2717 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2718 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2719 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2720 list address instead.
2722 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2726 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2729 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2732 It is totally ignored
2733 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2734 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2736 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2737 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2738 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2739 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2740 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2742 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2743 @cindex mail list groups
2744 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2745 entering summary buffer.
2747 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2752 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2753 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2754 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2755 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2756 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2757 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2758 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2759 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2762 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2763 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2766 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2767 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2771 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2772 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2773 of whether it has any unread articles.
2775 @item broken-reply-to
2776 @cindex broken-reply-to
2777 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2778 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2779 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2780 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2781 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2782 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2786 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2787 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2791 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2792 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2793 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2798 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2799 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2800 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2801 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2802 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2803 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2804 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2806 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2807 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2808 doesn't accept articles.
2812 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2813 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2814 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2816 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2819 @cindex total-expire
2820 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2821 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2822 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2823 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2826 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2830 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2831 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2832 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2833 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2834 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2835 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2836 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2839 @cindex expiry-target
2840 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2841 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2844 @cindex score file group parameter
2845 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2846 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2847 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2850 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2851 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2852 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2853 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2856 @cindex admin-address
2857 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2858 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2859 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2860 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2864 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2865 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2869 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2872 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2873 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2876 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2880 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2882 Here are some examples:
2886 Display only unread articles.
2889 Display everything except expirable articles.
2891 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2892 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2896 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2897 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2898 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2899 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2900 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2904 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2905 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2906 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2910 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2911 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2912 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2916 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2917 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2918 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2920 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2922 @item ignored-charsets
2923 @cindex ignored-charset
2924 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2925 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2926 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2928 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2931 @cindex posting-style
2932 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2933 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2934 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2935 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2936 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2938 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2939 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2940 like this in the group parameters:
2945 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2946 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2951 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2952 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2956 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2957 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2958 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2959 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2960 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2964 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2965 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2966 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2967 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2969 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
2970 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2971 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2972 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2975 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2976 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2980 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
2981 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
2983 @item (agent parameters)
2984 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
2985 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
2986 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
2987 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
2988 minimize the configuration effort.
2990 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2991 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2992 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2993 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2994 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2995 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2996 @code{eval}ed there.
2998 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
2999 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3000 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3001 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3002 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3003 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3004 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3005 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3008 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3011 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3012 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3013 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3016 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3019 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3020 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3021 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3022 into the group parameters for the group.
3024 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3025 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3026 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
3027 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
3030 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3031 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3032 following is added to a group parameter
3035 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3036 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3039 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3044 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3045 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3046 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3047 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3048 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3050 @vindex gnus-parameters
3051 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3052 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3056 (setq gnus-parameters
3058 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3059 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3060 (gnus-summary-line-format
3061 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3065 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3069 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3073 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3076 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3077 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3080 @node Listing Groups
3081 @section Listing Groups
3082 @cindex group listing
3084 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3092 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3093 List all groups that have unread articles
3094 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3095 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3096 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3097 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3104 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3105 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3106 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3107 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3108 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3109 unsubscribed groups).
3113 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3114 List all unread groups on a specific level
3115 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3116 with no unread articles.
3120 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3121 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3122 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3123 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3128 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3129 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3133 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3134 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3135 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3139 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3140 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3144 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3145 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3146 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3147 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3148 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3149 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3150 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3151 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3155 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3156 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3157 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3161 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3162 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3163 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3167 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3168 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3172 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3173 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3177 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3178 List groups limited within the current selection
3179 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3183 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3184 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3188 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3189 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3193 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3194 @cindex visible group parameter
3195 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3196 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3197 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3198 get the same effect.
3200 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3201 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3202 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3203 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3204 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3207 @node Sorting Groups
3208 @section Sorting Groups
3209 @cindex sorting groups
3211 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3212 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3213 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3214 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3215 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3216 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3221 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3222 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3223 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3225 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3226 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3227 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3229 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3230 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3231 Sort by group level.
3233 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3234 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3235 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3237 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3238 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3239 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3240 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3242 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3243 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3244 Sort by number of unread articles.
3246 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3247 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3248 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3250 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3251 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3252 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3257 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3258 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3262 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3263 some sorting criteria:
3267 @kindex G S a (Group)
3268 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3269 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3270 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3273 @kindex G S u (Group)
3274 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3275 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3276 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3279 @kindex G S l (Group)
3280 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3281 Sort the group buffer by group level
3282 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3285 @kindex G S v (Group)
3286 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3287 Sort the group buffer by group score
3288 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3291 @kindex G S r (Group)
3292 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3293 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3294 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3297 @kindex G S m (Group)
3298 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3299 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3300 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3303 @kindex G S n (Group)
3304 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3305 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3306 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3310 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3311 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3313 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3314 commands will sort in reverse order.
3316 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3320 @kindex G P a (Group)
3321 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3322 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3323 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3326 @kindex G P u (Group)
3327 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3328 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3329 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3332 @kindex G P l (Group)
3333 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3334 Sort the groups by group level
3335 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3338 @kindex G P v (Group)
3339 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3340 Sort the groups by group score
3341 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3344 @kindex G P r (Group)
3345 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3346 Sort the groups by group rank
3347 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3350 @kindex G P m (Group)
3351 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3352 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3353 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3356 @kindex G P n (Group)
3357 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3358 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3359 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3362 @kindex G P s (Group)
3363 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3364 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3368 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3372 @node Group Maintenance
3373 @section Group Maintenance
3374 @cindex bogus groups
3379 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3380 Find bogus groups and delete them
3381 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3385 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3386 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3387 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3388 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3389 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3393 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3394 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3395 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3396 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3397 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3398 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3401 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3402 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3403 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3404 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3409 @node Browse Foreign Server
3410 @section Browse Foreign Server
3411 @cindex foreign servers
3412 @cindex browsing servers
3417 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3418 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3419 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3420 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3423 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3424 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3425 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3426 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3428 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3433 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3434 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3438 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3439 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3442 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3443 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3444 Enter the current group and display the first article
3445 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3448 @kindex RET (Browse)
3449 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3450 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3454 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3455 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3456 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3462 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3463 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3467 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3468 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3472 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3473 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3474 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3479 @section Exiting gnus
3480 @cindex exiting gnus
3482 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3487 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3488 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3489 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3490 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3494 @findex gnus-group-exit
3495 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3496 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3500 @findex gnus-group-quit
3501 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3502 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3505 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3506 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3507 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3508 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3509 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3510 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3516 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3517 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3518 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3524 @section Group Topics
3527 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3528 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3529 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3530 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3531 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3532 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3536 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3537 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3548 2: alt.religion.emacs
3551 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3553 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3554 13: comp.sources.unix
3557 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3559 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3560 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3561 is a toggling command.)
3563 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3564 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3565 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3566 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3569 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3570 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3571 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3574 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3578 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3579 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3580 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3581 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3582 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3586 @node Topic Commands
3587 @subsection Topic Commands
3588 @cindex topic commands
3590 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3591 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3592 definitions slightly.
3594 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3595 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3596 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3597 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3598 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3599 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3601 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3608 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3609 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3610 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3614 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3616 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3617 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3618 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3619 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3622 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3623 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3624 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3625 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3629 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3630 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3631 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3632 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3638 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3639 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3640 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3644 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3645 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3646 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3649 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3650 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3651 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3652 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3653 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3655 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3656 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3660 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3661 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3668 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3670 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3671 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3672 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3673 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3674 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3675 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3679 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3685 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3686 Move the current group to some other topic
3687 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3688 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3692 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3693 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3697 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3698 Copy the current group to some other topic
3699 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3700 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3704 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3705 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3706 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3710 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3711 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3712 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3716 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3717 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3718 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3719 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3720 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3721 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3722 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3725 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3726 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3730 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3731 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3732 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3736 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3737 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3738 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3742 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3743 Toggle hiding empty topics
3744 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3748 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3749 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3750 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3751 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3754 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3755 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3756 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3757 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3758 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3761 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3762 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3763 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3764 expiry process (if any)
3765 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3769 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3770 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3773 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3774 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3775 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3779 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3780 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3781 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3784 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3785 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3786 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3789 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3790 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3791 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3795 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3796 @cindex group parameters
3797 @cindex topic parameters
3799 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3800 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3805 @node Topic Variables
3806 @subsection Topic Variables
3807 @cindex topic variables
3809 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3810 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3812 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3813 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3814 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3827 Number of groups in the topic.
3829 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3831 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3834 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3835 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3836 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3839 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3840 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3842 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3843 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3844 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3848 @subsection Topic Sorting
3849 @cindex topic sorting
3851 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3857 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3858 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3859 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3860 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3863 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3864 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3865 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3866 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3869 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3870 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3871 Sort the current topic by group level
3872 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3875 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3876 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3877 Sort the current topic by group score
3878 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3881 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3882 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3883 Sort the current topic by group rank
3884 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3887 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3888 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3889 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3890 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3893 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3894 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3895 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3896 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3899 @kindex T S s (Topic)
3900 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3901 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3902 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3903 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3907 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3908 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3912 @node Topic Topology
3913 @subsection Topic Topology
3914 @cindex topic topology
3917 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3924 2: alt.religion.emacs
3927 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3929 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3930 13: comp.sources.unix
3934 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3935 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3936 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3941 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3942 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3946 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3947 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3948 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3949 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3950 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3951 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3953 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3954 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3955 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3958 @node Topic Parameters
3959 @subsection Topic Parameters
3960 @cindex topic parameters
3962 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
3963 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
3964 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
3965 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
3966 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
3968 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3973 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3974 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3975 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3978 @item subscribe-level
3979 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3980 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3981 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3985 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3986 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3987 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3988 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3995 2: alt.religion.emacs
3999 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4001 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4002 13: comp.sources.unix
4007 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4008 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4009 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4010 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4011 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4012 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4014 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4015 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4016 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4017 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4018 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4020 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4021 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4022 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4023 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4024 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4025 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4026 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4027 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4030 @node Misc Group Stuff
4031 @section Misc Group Stuff
4034 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4035 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4036 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4037 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4038 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4045 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4046 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4047 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4051 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4052 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4053 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4054 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4055 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4056 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4057 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4061 @findex gnus-group-mail
4062 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4063 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4064 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4065 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4069 @findex gnus-group-news
4070 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4071 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4072 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4074 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4075 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4076 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4077 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4078 for this to work though.
4082 Variables for the group buffer:
4086 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4087 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4088 is called after the group buffer has been
4091 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4092 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4093 is called after the group buffer is
4094 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4097 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4098 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4099 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4100 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4102 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4103 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4104 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4105 whether they are empty or not.
4107 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4108 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4109 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4110 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4114 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4115 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4118 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4119 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4120 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4121 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4122 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4123 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4124 default is @code{nil}.
4128 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4129 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4134 @node Scanning New Messages
4135 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4136 @cindex new messages
4137 @cindex scanning new news
4143 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4144 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4145 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4146 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4147 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4148 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4153 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4154 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4155 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4156 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4157 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4158 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4159 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4161 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4162 @cindex activating groups
4164 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4165 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4170 @findex gnus-group-restart
4171 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4172 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4173 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
4177 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4178 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4180 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4181 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4185 @node Group Information
4186 @subsection Group Information
4187 @cindex group information
4188 @cindex information on groups
4195 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4196 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4199 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4200 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4201 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4202 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4203 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4204 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4205 used for fetching the file.
4207 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
4208 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4212 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4213 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4215 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4216 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4219 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4220 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4221 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4225 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4226 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4227 @cindex control message
4228 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4229 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4230 group if given a prefix argument.
4232 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4233 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4234 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4235 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4237 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4238 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4239 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4243 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4245 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4246 @cindex describing groups
4247 @cindex group description
4248 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4249 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4250 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4254 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4255 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4256 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4263 @findex gnus-version
4264 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4268 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4269 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4272 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4275 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4276 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4280 @node Group Timestamp
4281 @subsection Group Timestamp
4283 @cindex group timestamps
4285 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
4286 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4287 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4290 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4293 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4295 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4296 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4299 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4300 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4303 This will result in lines looking like:
4306 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4307 0: custom 19961002T012713
4310 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4311 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4315 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4316 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4319 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4320 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4324 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4325 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4326 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4327 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4329 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4335 @subsection File Commands
4336 @cindex file commands
4342 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4343 @vindex gnus-init-file
4344 @cindex reading init file
4345 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4346 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4350 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4351 @cindex saving .newsrc
4352 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4353 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4354 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4357 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4358 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4359 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4364 @node Sieve Commands
4365 @subsection Sieve Commands
4366 @cindex group sieve commands
4368 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4369 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4370 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4371 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4372 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4374 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4375 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4376 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4377 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4378 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4379 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4380 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4381 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4382 regenerate the Sieve script.
4384 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4385 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4386 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4387 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4388 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4389 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4390 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4391 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4392 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4393 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4396 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4397 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4402 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4408 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4409 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4410 @cindex generating sieve script
4411 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4412 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4416 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4417 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4418 @cindex updating sieve script
4419 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4420 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4421 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4426 @node Summary Buffer
4427 @chapter Summary Buffer
4428 @cindex summary buffer
4430 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4431 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4433 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4434 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4436 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4439 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4440 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4441 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4442 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4443 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4444 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4445 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4446 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4447 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4448 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4449 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4450 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4451 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4452 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4453 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4454 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4455 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4456 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4457 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4458 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4459 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4460 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4461 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4462 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4463 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4464 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4465 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4466 or reselecting the current group.
4467 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4468 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4469 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4470 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4474 @node Summary Buffer Format
4475 @section Summary Buffer Format
4476 @cindex summary buffer format
4480 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4481 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4482 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4488 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4489 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4490 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4491 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4494 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4495 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4496 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4497 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4498 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4499 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
4500 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4501 fast, and too simplistic solution;
4502 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
4503 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
4504 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
4505 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
4506 other function instead:
4509 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4510 'mail-extract-address-components)
4513 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4514 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4515 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4516 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4519 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4520 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4522 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4523 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4524 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4525 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4526 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4528 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4529 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4530 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4531 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4532 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4533 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4535 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4537 The following format specification characters and extended format
4538 specification(s) are understood:
4544 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4545 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4547 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4548 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4549 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4551 Full @code{From} header.
4553 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4555 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4558 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4559 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4560 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4561 may be more thorough.
4563 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4566 Number of lines in the article.
4568 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4569 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4571 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4572 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4574 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4576 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4577 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4590 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4591 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4592 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4593 line-drawing glyphs.
4595 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4596 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4597 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4598 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4600 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4601 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4602 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4603 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4605 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4606 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4607 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4608 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4610 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4611 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4612 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4614 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4615 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4616 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4618 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4619 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4620 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4622 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4623 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4624 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4629 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4630 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4632 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4633 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4635 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4636 for adopted articles.
4638 One space for each thread level.
4640 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4642 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4645 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4646 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4647 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4650 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4652 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4653 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4654 default level. If the difference between
4655 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4656 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4664 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4666 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4672 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4673 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4675 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4676 article has any children.
4682 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4683 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4685 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4686 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4687 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4688 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4689 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4690 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4693 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4694 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4695 There can only be one such area.
4697 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4698 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4699 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4700 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4701 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4702 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4704 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4705 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4707 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4710 @node To From Newsgroups
4711 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4715 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4716 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4717 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4718 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4719 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4723 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4724 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4725 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4729 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4730 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4733 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4734 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4737 @findex gnus-extra-header
4738 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4739 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4740 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4743 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4747 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4748 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4749 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4750 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4751 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4752 headers are used instead.
4756 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4757 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4758 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4759 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4760 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4761 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4764 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4765 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4766 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4767 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4769 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4773 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4775 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4776 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4777 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4778 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4782 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4785 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4786 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4789 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4790 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4791 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4797 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4798 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4801 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4802 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4804 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4805 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4806 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4807 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4809 Here are the elements you can play with:
4815 Unprefixed group name.
4817 Current article number.
4819 Current article score.
4823 Number of unread articles in this group.
4825 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4828 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4829 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4830 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4831 and no unselected ones.
4833 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4834 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4836 Subject of the current article.
4838 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4840 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4842 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4844 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4846 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4848 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4852 @node Summary Highlighting
4853 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4857 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4858 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4859 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4860 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4861 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4863 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4864 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4865 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4866 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4868 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4869 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4870 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4871 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4873 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4874 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4875 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4876 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4877 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4878 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4881 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4882 ((> score default) . bold))
4884 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4885 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4889 @node Summary Maneuvering
4890 @section Summary Maneuvering
4891 @cindex summary movement
4893 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4894 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4896 None of these commands select articles.
4901 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4902 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4903 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4904 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4905 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4909 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4910 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4911 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4912 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4913 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4916 @kindex G g (Summary)
4917 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4918 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4919 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4922 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4923 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4924 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4925 to the group buffer.
4927 Variables related to summary movement:
4931 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4932 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4933 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4934 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4935 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4936 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4937 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4938 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4939 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4940 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4941 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4942 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4943 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4944 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4946 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4947 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4948 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4949 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4950 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4951 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4952 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4954 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4956 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4957 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4958 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4959 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4960 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4962 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4963 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4964 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4965 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4966 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4967 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4968 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4969 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4972 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4973 the given number of lines from the top.
4978 @node Choosing Articles
4979 @section Choosing Articles
4980 @cindex selecting articles
4983 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4984 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4988 @node Choosing Commands
4989 @subsection Choosing Commands
4991 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4992 and they all select and display an article.
4994 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4995 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4999 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5000 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5001 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5002 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5004 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5005 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5006 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5011 @kindex G n (Summary)
5012 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5013 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5014 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5019 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5020 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5021 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5026 @kindex G N (Summary)
5027 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5028 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5033 @kindex G P (Summary)
5034 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5035 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5038 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5039 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5040 Go to the next article with the same subject
5041 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5044 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5045 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5046 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5047 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5051 @kindex G f (Summary)
5053 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5054 Go to the first unread article
5055 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5059 @kindex G b (Summary)
5061 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5062 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5063 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5064 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5069 @kindex G l (Summary)
5070 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5071 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5074 @kindex G o (Summary)
5075 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5077 @cindex article history
5078 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5079 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5080 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5081 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5082 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5083 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5088 @kindex G j (Summary)
5089 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5090 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5091 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5096 @node Choosing Variables
5097 @subsection Choosing Variables
5099 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5102 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5103 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5104 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5105 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5106 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5107 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5109 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5110 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5111 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5112 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5113 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5114 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5116 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5117 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5118 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5119 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5120 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5121 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5122 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5123 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5124 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5125 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5126 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5127 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5128 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5129 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5134 @node Paging the Article
5135 @section Scrolling the Article
5136 @cindex article scrolling
5141 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5142 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5143 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5144 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5145 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5147 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5148 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5149 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5150 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5151 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5152 what is considered uninteresting with
5153 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5154 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5157 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5158 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5159 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5162 @kindex RET (Summary)
5163 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5164 Scroll the current article one line forward
5165 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5168 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5169 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5170 Scroll the current article one line backward
5171 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5175 @kindex A g (Summary)
5177 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5178 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5179 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5180 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5181 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5182 the way it came from the server.
5184 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5185 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5186 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5189 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5194 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5199 @kindex A < (Summary)
5200 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5201 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5202 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5207 @kindex A > (Summary)
5208 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5209 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5213 @kindex A s (Summary)
5215 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5216 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5217 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5221 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5222 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5227 @node Reply Followup and Post
5228 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5231 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5232 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5233 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5234 * Canceling and Superseding::
5238 @node Summary Mail Commands
5239 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5241 @cindex composing mail
5243 Commands for composing a mail message:
5249 @kindex S r (Summary)
5251 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5252 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5253 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5254 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5255 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5260 @kindex S R (Summary)
5261 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5262 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5263 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5264 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5265 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5268 @kindex S w (Summary)
5269 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5270 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5271 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5272 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5273 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5274 present, that's used instead.
5277 @kindex S W (Summary)
5278 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5279 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5280 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5281 the process/prefix convention.
5284 @kindex S v (Summary)
5285 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5286 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5287 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5288 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5289 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5290 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5293 @kindex S V (Summary)
5294 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5295 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5296 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5297 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5300 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5301 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5302 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5303 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5304 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5305 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5306 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5307 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5310 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5311 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5312 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5313 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5314 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5318 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5319 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5320 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5321 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5322 Forward the current article to some other person
5323 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5324 headers of the forwarded article.
5329 @kindex S m (Summary)
5330 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5331 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5332 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5333 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5334 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5339 @kindex S i (Summary)
5340 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5341 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5342 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5343 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5345 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5346 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5347 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5348 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5349 for this to work though.
5352 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5353 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5354 @cindex bouncing mail
5355 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5356 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5357 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5358 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5359 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5360 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
5361 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5362 very well fail, though.
5365 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5366 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5367 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5368 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5369 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5370 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5371 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5372 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5373 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5374 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5376 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5377 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5378 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5379 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5380 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5382 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5383 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5386 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5387 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5389 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5390 if it were a new message before resending.
5393 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5394 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
5395 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5396 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
5397 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5400 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5401 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5402 @cindex crossposting
5403 @cindex excessive crossposting
5404 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5405 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5407 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5408 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5409 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5410 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5411 command understands the process/prefix convention
5412 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5416 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5417 Manual}, for more information.
5420 @node Summary Post Commands
5421 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5423 @cindex composing news
5425 Commands for posting a news article:
5431 @kindex S p (Summary)
5432 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5433 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5434 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5435 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5436 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5441 @kindex S f (Summary)
5442 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5443 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5444 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5448 @kindex S F (Summary)
5450 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5451 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5452 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5453 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5454 process/prefix convention.
5457 @kindex S n (Summary)
5458 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5459 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5460 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5463 @kindex S N (Summary)
5464 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5465 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5466 message through mail and include the original message
5467 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5468 the process/prefix convention.
5471 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5472 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5473 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5474 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5475 headers of the forwarded article.
5478 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5479 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
5481 @cindex making digests
5482 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5483 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5484 process/prefix convention.
5487 @kindex S u (Summary)
5488 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5489 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5490 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5491 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5494 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5495 Manual}, for more information.
5498 @node Summary Message Commands
5499 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5503 @kindex S y (Summary)
5504 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5505 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5506 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5507 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5508 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5513 @node Canceling and Superseding
5514 @subsection Canceling Articles
5515 @cindex canceling articles
5516 @cindex superseding articles
5518 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5519 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5521 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5523 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5525 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5526 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5527 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5528 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5529 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5530 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5532 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5533 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5536 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5537 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5538 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5540 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5541 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5542 message, Message Manual}).
5544 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5545 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5546 your original article.
5548 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5550 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5551 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5552 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5555 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5556 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5557 have posted almost the same article twice.
5559 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5560 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5561 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5562 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5563 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5564 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5565 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5566 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5567 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5568 canceled/superseded.
5570 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5572 @node Delayed Articles
5573 @section Delayed Articles
5574 @cindex delayed sending
5575 @cindex send delayed
5577 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5578 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5579 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5580 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5583 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5586 @findex gnus-delay-article
5587 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5588 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5589 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5590 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5594 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5595 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5596 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5597 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5600 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5601 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5602 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5605 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5606 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5607 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5608 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5609 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5610 that means a time tomorrow.
5613 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5614 couple of variables:
5617 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5618 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5619 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5620 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5622 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5623 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5624 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5625 formats described above.
5627 @item gnus-delay-group
5628 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5629 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5630 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5631 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5633 @item gnus-delay-header
5634 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5635 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5636 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5637 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5640 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5641 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5642 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5643 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5644 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5646 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5647 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5648 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5649 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5650 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5651 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5652 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5655 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5656 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5658 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5659 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5660 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5661 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5662 argument is ignored.
5664 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5665 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5666 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5670 @node Marking Articles
5671 @section Marking Articles
5672 @cindex article marking
5673 @cindex article ticking
5676 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5678 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5679 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5680 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5682 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5685 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5686 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5687 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5691 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5695 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5696 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5697 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5701 @node Unread Articles
5702 @subsection Unread Articles
5704 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5709 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5710 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5712 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5713 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5714 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5715 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5716 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5717 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5718 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5721 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5722 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5724 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5725 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5726 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5727 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5731 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5732 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5734 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5739 @subsection Read Articles
5740 @cindex expirable mark
5742 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5747 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5748 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5749 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5752 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5753 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5756 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5757 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5758 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5761 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5762 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5765 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5766 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5769 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5770 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5773 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5774 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5777 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5778 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5781 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5782 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5785 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5786 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5790 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5791 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5792 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5796 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5797 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5799 One more special mark, though:
5803 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5804 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5806 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5807 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5808 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5809 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5815 @subsection Other Marks
5816 @cindex process mark
5819 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5825 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5826 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5827 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5828 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5829 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5832 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5833 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5834 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5835 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5838 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5839 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5840 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5843 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5844 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5845 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5848 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5849 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5850 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5851 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5854 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5855 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5856 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5857 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5858 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5859 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5862 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5863 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5864 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5865 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5868 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5869 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5870 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5871 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5872 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5876 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5877 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5878 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5879 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5880 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5881 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5884 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5885 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5886 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5887 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5888 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5889 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5893 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5894 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5895 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5896 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5897 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5900 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5901 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5902 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5903 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5904 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5905 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5909 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5910 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5911 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5913 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5914 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5915 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5919 @subsection Setting Marks
5920 @cindex setting marks
5922 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5927 @kindex M c (Summary)
5928 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5929 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5930 @cindex mark as unread
5931 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5932 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5938 @kindex M t (Summary)
5939 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5940 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5941 @xref{Article Caching}.
5946 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5947 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5948 Mark the current article as dormant
5949 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5953 @kindex M d (Summary)
5955 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5956 Mark the current article as read
5957 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5961 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5962 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5963 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5968 @kindex M k (Summary)
5969 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5970 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5971 and then select the next unread article
5972 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5976 @kindex M K (Summary)
5977 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5978 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5979 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5980 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5983 @kindex M C (Summary)
5984 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5985 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5986 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5989 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5990 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5991 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5992 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5995 @kindex M H (Summary)
5996 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5997 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5998 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6001 @kindex M h (Summary)
6002 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6003 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6004 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6007 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6008 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6009 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6010 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6013 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6014 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6015 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6016 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6020 @kindex M e (Summary)
6022 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6023 Mark the current article as expirable
6024 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6027 @kindex M b (Summary)
6028 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6029 Set a bookmark in the current article
6030 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6033 @kindex M B (Summary)
6034 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6035 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6036 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6039 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6040 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6041 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6042 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6045 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6046 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6047 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6048 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6051 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6052 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6053 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6054 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6055 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6058 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6059 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6060 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6061 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6062 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6063 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6064 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6065 The default is @code{t}.
6068 @node Generic Marking Commands
6069 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6071 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6072 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6073 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6074 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6075 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6078 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6079 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6082 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6083 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6084 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6085 to list in this manual.
6087 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6088 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6089 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6090 article, you could say something like:
6094 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6095 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6096 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6104 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6105 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6109 @node Setting Process Marks
6110 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6111 @cindex setting process marks
6113 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6114 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6115 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6116 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6117 commands into the cache. For more information,
6118 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6125 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6126 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6127 Mark the current article with the process mark
6128 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6129 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6133 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6134 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6135 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6136 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6139 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6140 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6141 Remove the process mark from all articles
6142 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6145 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6146 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6147 Invert the list of process marked articles
6148 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6151 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6152 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6153 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6154 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6157 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6158 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6159 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6160 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6163 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6164 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6165 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6168 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6169 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6170 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6173 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6174 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6175 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6176 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6179 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6180 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6181 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6182 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6185 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6186 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6187 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6188 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6191 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6192 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6193 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6196 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6197 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6198 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6199 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6202 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6203 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6204 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6207 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6208 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6209 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6210 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6213 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6214 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6215 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6216 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6219 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6220 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6221 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6222 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6225 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6226 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6227 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6228 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6232 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6233 set process marks based on article body contents.
6240 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6241 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6242 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6245 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6246 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6247 additional articles.
6253 @kindex / / (Summary)
6254 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6255 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6256 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6260 @kindex / a (Summary)
6261 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6262 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6263 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6267 @kindex / x (Summary)
6268 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6269 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6270 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6271 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6276 @kindex / u (Summary)
6278 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6279 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6280 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6281 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6282 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6285 @kindex / m (Summary)
6286 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6287 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6288 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6291 @kindex / t (Summary)
6292 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6293 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6294 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6295 articles younger than that number of days.
6298 @kindex / n (Summary)
6299 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6300 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6301 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6302 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6305 @kindex / w (Summary)
6306 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6307 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6308 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6312 @kindex / . (Summary)
6313 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6314 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6315 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6318 @kindex / v (Summary)
6319 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6320 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6321 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6324 @kindex / p (Summary)
6325 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6326 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6327 group parameter predicate
6328 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6329 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6332 @kindex / r (Summary)
6333 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6334 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6335 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6340 @kindex M S (Summary)
6341 @kindex / E (Summary)
6342 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6343 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6344 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6347 @kindex / D (Summary)
6348 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6349 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6350 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6353 @kindex / * (Summary)
6354 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6355 Include all cached articles in the limit
6356 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6359 @kindex / d (Summary)
6360 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6361 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6362 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6365 @kindex / M (Summary)
6366 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6367 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6370 @kindex / T (Summary)
6371 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6372 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6375 @kindex / c (Summary)
6376 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6377 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6378 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6381 @kindex / C (Summary)
6382 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6383 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6384 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6385 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6388 @kindex / N (Summary)
6389 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6390 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6391 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6394 @kindex / o (Summary)
6395 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6396 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6397 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6405 @cindex article threading
6407 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6408 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6409 hierarchical fashion.
6411 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6412 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6413 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6414 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6415 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6416 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6417 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6419 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6423 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6426 A tree-like article structure.
6429 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6432 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6433 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6434 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6435 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6436 called loose threads.
6438 @item thread gathering
6439 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6441 @item sparse threads
6442 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6443 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6449 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6450 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6454 @node Customizing Threading
6455 @subsection Customizing Threading
6456 @cindex customizing threading
6459 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6460 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6461 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6462 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6467 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6470 @cindex loose threads
6473 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6474 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6475 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6476 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6477 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6478 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6480 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
6481 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
6482 There are four possible values:
6486 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6487 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6488 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6489 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6490 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6495 @cindex adopting articles
6500 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6501 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6502 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6503 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6506 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6507 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6508 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6509 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6510 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6511 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6512 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6513 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6514 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6515 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6518 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6519 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6520 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6524 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6525 display them after one another.
6528 Don't gather loose threads.
6531 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6532 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6533 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6534 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
6535 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6536 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6537 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6538 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6539 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6540 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
6541 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6543 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6544 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
6545 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6548 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6549 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6550 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6551 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6552 simplification is used.
6554 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6555 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6556 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6557 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6559 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6561 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6567 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6568 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6569 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6570 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6575 (mapconcat 'identity
6576 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6578 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6581 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6584 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6585 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6586 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6587 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6588 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6589 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6591 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6594 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6595 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6596 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6598 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6599 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6602 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6603 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6604 Remove excessive whitespace.
6606 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6607 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6608 Remove all whitespace.
6611 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6614 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6615 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6616 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6617 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6618 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6619 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6620 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6621 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6623 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6624 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6625 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6626 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6627 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6628 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6629 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6630 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6631 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6635 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6636 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6637 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6638 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6640 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6641 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6642 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6645 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6649 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6650 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6656 @node Filling In Threads
6657 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6660 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6661 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6662 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6663 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6664 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6665 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6666 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6667 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6668 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6669 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6670 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6671 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
6674 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6675 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6676 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6678 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6679 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6680 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6683 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6684 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6685 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6686 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6687 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6688 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6689 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
6690 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6691 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
6692 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
6693 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6694 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
6695 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6696 @code{nil} by default.
6698 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6699 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6700 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6701 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6702 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6703 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6704 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6706 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6707 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6708 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6713 @node More Threading
6714 @subsubsection More Threading
6717 @item gnus-show-threads
6718 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6719 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6720 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6721 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6722 slower and more awkward.
6724 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6725 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6726 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6729 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6730 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6731 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6736 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6737 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6738 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6741 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6742 unread, but you get my drift.)
6745 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6746 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6747 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6748 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6749 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6750 threads are expunged.
6752 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6753 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6754 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6757 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6758 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6759 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6760 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6761 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6762 result in a new thread.
6764 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6765 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6766 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6769 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6770 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6771 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6772 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6773 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6774 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6775 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6776 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6777 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6778 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6779 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6784 @node Low-Level Threading
6785 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6789 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6790 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6791 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
6792 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
6793 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
6794 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
6796 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6797 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6798 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6799 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6800 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6801 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6802 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6803 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6804 meaningful. Here's one example:
6807 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6809 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6810 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6812 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6814 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6821 @node Thread Commands
6822 @subsection Thread Commands
6823 @cindex thread commands
6829 @kindex T k (Summary)
6830 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6831 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6832 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6833 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6834 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6839 @kindex T l (Summary)
6840 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6841 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6842 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6843 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6846 @kindex T i (Summary)
6847 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6848 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6849 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6852 @kindex T # (Summary)
6853 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6854 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6855 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6858 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6859 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6860 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6861 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6864 @kindex T T (Summary)
6865 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6866 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6869 @kindex T s (Summary)
6870 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6871 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6872 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6875 @kindex T h (Summary)
6876 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6877 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6880 @kindex T S (Summary)
6881 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6882 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6885 @kindex T H (Summary)
6886 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6887 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6890 @kindex T t (Summary)
6891 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6892 Re-thread the current article's thread
6893 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6894 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6897 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6898 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6899 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6900 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6904 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6905 understand the numeric prefix.
6910 @kindex T n (Summary)
6912 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6914 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6915 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6916 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6919 @kindex T p (Summary)
6921 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6923 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6924 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6925 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6928 @kindex T d (Summary)
6929 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6930 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6933 @kindex T u (Summary)
6934 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6935 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6938 @kindex T o (Summary)
6939 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6940 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6943 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6944 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6945 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6946 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6947 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6948 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6949 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6950 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6951 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6952 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6953 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6954 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6958 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6959 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6961 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6962 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6963 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6964 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6965 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6966 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6967 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6968 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6969 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
6970 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
6971 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6972 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6973 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6974 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6976 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6977 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6978 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6979 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6980 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6981 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6982 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6983 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6985 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6986 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6987 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6989 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6990 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6991 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6992 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6993 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6994 ascending article order.
6996 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6997 by number, you could do something like:
7000 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7001 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7002 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7003 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7006 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7007 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7008 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7009 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7010 which the articles arrived.
7012 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7016 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7018 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
7019 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7022 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7023 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7024 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7025 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7028 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7029 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7030 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7031 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7032 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7033 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7034 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7035 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7036 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7037 variable. It is very similar to the
7038 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7039 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7040 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7041 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7042 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7043 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7044 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7046 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7050 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7051 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7052 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7057 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7058 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7059 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7060 @cindex article pre-fetch
7063 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7064 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7065 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7066 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7067 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7069 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7070 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
7072 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7073 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7074 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7075 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7076 connection is blocked.
7078 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7079 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7080 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7081 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
7083 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7084 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7085 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7086 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7089 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7092 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7093 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7094 happen automatically.
7096 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7097 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7098 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7099 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7100 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7101 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7102 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7104 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7105 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7106 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7107 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7108 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7109 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7110 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7111 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7112 article data structure as the only parameter.
7114 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7115 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7118 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7119 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7120 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7121 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7124 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7127 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7128 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
7129 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7131 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7132 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7133 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7134 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7138 Remove articles when they are read.
7141 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7144 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7146 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7147 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7148 @c from the next group.
7151 @node Article Caching
7152 @section Article Caching
7153 @cindex article caching
7156 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7157 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7158 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7159 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7160 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7162 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7164 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7165 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7166 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7167 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7168 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7169 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7170 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7171 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7173 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7174 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7175 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7176 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7177 as dormant, and don't worry.
7179 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7181 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7182 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7183 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7184 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7185 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7186 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7187 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7188 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7189 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7190 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7192 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7193 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7194 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7195 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7196 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7197 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7198 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7199 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7200 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7201 not then be downloaded by this command.
7203 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7204 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7205 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7206 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7207 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7208 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7210 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7211 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7212 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7213 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7214 variables, the group is not cached.
7216 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7217 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7218 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7219 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7220 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7221 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
7222 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7223 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7224 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7227 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7228 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7229 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7230 where, isn't that cool?
7232 @node Persistent Articles
7233 @section Persistent Articles
7234 @cindex persistent articles
7236 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7237 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7238 useful in my opinion.
7240 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7241 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7242 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7243 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7244 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7245 the expiry going on at the news server.
7247 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7248 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7249 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7255 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7256 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7259 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7260 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7261 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7262 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7266 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7268 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7269 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7270 interested in persistent articles:
7273 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7277 @node Article Backlog
7278 @section Article Backlog
7280 @cindex article backlog
7282 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7283 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7284 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
7285 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7286 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7287 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7288 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
7289 increase memory usage some.
7291 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7292 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
7293 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7294 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
7295 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7296 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7297 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7299 The default value is 20.
7302 @node Saving Articles
7303 @section Saving Articles
7304 @cindex saving articles
7306 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7307 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7308 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7309 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7310 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7312 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7313 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7314 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7316 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7317 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
7318 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7320 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7321 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7322 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7323 deleted before saving.
7329 @kindex O o (Summary)
7331 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7332 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7333 Save the current article using the default article saver
7334 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7337 @kindex O m (Summary)
7338 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7339 Save the current article in mail format
7340 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7343 @kindex O r (Summary)
7344 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7345 Save the current article in Rmail format
7346 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7349 @kindex O f (Summary)
7350 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7351 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7352 Save the current article in plain file format
7353 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7356 @kindex O F (Summary)
7357 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7358 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7359 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7362 @kindex O b (Summary)
7363 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7364 Save the current article body in plain file format
7365 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7368 @kindex O h (Summary)
7369 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7370 Save the current article in mh folder format
7371 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7374 @kindex O v (Summary)
7375 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7376 Save the current article in a VM folder
7377 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7381 @kindex O p (Summary)
7383 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7384 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7385 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7386 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7387 complete headers in the piped output.
7390 @kindex O P (Summary)
7391 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7392 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7393 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7394 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7395 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7396 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7397 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7401 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7402 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7403 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7404 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7405 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7406 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7407 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7408 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7409 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7410 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7411 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7412 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7416 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7417 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7418 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7419 functions below, or you can create your own.
7423 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7424 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7425 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7426 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7427 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7428 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7429 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7431 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7432 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7433 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7434 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7435 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7436 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7438 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7439 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7440 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7441 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7442 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7443 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7444 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7446 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7447 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7448 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7449 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7450 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7451 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7453 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7454 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7455 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7456 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7457 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7459 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7460 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7461 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7462 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7463 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7466 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7467 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7468 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7469 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7470 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7472 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7473 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7474 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7475 reader to use this setting.
7478 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7479 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7480 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7481 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7484 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7485 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7486 available functions that generate names:
7490 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7491 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7492 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7494 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7495 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7496 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7498 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7499 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7500 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7502 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7503 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7504 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7506 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7507 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7508 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7511 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7512 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7513 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7514 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7515 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7519 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7520 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7521 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7522 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7525 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7526 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7527 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7528 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7529 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7530 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7531 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7532 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7533 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7535 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7536 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7537 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7538 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7540 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7541 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7542 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7545 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7546 lots of mail groups called things like
7547 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7548 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7549 following will do just that:
7552 (defun my-save-name (group)
7553 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7554 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7556 (setq gnus-split-methods
7557 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7562 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7563 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7564 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7565 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7566 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7567 all the files in the top level directory
7568 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7569 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7570 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7571 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7573 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7574 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7575 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7576 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7577 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7580 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7584 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7585 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7586 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7589 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7590 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7591 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7592 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7595 @node Decoding Articles
7596 @section Decoding Articles
7597 @cindex decoding articles
7599 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7600 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7603 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7604 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7605 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7606 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7607 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7608 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7612 @cindex article series
7613 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7614 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7615 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7616 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7617 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7619 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7620 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7621 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7623 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
7624 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7625 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7627 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7628 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7629 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7632 @node Uuencoded Articles
7633 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7635 @cindex uuencoded articles
7640 @kindex X u (Summary)
7641 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7642 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7643 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7646 @kindex X U (Summary)
7647 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7648 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7649 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7652 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7653 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7654 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7657 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7658 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7659 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7660 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7664 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7665 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7666 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7667 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7668 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7670 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7671 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7672 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7673 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7676 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7677 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7678 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7679 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7680 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7681 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7685 @node Shell Archives
7686 @subsection Shell Archives
7688 @cindex shell archives
7689 @cindex shared articles
7691 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7692 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7693 some commands to deal with these:
7698 @kindex X s (Summary)
7699 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7700 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7703 @kindex X S (Summary)
7704 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7705 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7708 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7709 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7710 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7713 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7714 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7715 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7716 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7720 @node PostScript Files
7721 @subsection PostScript Files
7727 @kindex X p (Summary)
7728 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7729 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7732 @kindex X P (Summary)
7733 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7734 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7735 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7738 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7739 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7740 View the current PostScript series
7741 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7744 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7745 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7746 View and save the current PostScript series
7747 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7752 @subsection Other Files
7756 @kindex X o (Summary)
7757 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7758 Save the current series
7759 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7762 @kindex X b (Summary)
7763 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7764 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7765 doesn't really work yet.
7769 @node Decoding Variables
7770 @subsection Decoding Variables
7772 Adjective, not verb.
7775 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7776 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7777 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7781 @node Rule Variables
7782 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7783 @cindex rule variables
7785 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7786 variables are of the form
7789 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7796 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7797 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7799 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7800 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7803 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7804 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7807 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7808 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7809 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7810 user and default view rules.
7812 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7813 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7814 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7819 @node Other Decode Variables
7820 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7823 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7825 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7826 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7827 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7828 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7829 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7833 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7834 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7837 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7838 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7839 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7842 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7843 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7844 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7845 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7846 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7849 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7850 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7851 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7853 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7854 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7855 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7856 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7857 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7860 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7861 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7862 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7864 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7865 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7866 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7867 looking for files to display.
7869 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7870 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7871 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7874 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7875 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7876 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7879 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7880 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7881 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7884 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7885 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7886 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7889 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7890 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7891 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7892 decoded articles as unread.
7894 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7895 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7896 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7897 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7899 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7900 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7901 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7903 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7904 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7906 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7907 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
7908 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7909 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7911 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7912 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7913 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7914 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7915 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7916 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7917 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7918 simply dropped them.
7923 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7924 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7928 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7929 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7930 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7931 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7932 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7933 for you when you post the article.
7935 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7936 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7937 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7938 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7940 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7941 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7942 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7943 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7944 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7945 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7946 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7948 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7949 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7950 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7951 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7952 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7953 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7954 Default is @code{t}.
7960 @subsection Viewing Files
7961 @cindex viewing files
7962 @cindex pseudo-articles
7964 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7965 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7966 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7967 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7968 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7969 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7970 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7972 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7973 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7974 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7975 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7977 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7978 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7979 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7981 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7982 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7983 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7984 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7985 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7987 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7988 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7989 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7990 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7991 a list of parameters to that command.
7993 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7994 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7995 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7997 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7998 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7999 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8002 @node Article Treatment
8003 @section Article Treatment
8005 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8006 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8007 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8008 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8009 these articles easier.
8012 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8013 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8014 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8015 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8016 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8017 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8018 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8019 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8020 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8021 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8022 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8026 @node Article Highlighting
8027 @subsection Article Highlighting
8028 @cindex highlighting
8030 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8031 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8036 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8037 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8038 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8039 Do much highlighting of the current article
8040 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8041 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8044 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8045 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8046 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8047 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8048 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8049 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8050 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8051 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8052 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8053 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8054 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8055 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8058 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8059 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8060 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8062 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8065 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8067 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8068 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8069 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8071 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8072 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8073 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8075 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8076 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8077 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8078 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8079 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8080 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8082 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8083 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8084 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8086 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8087 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8088 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8090 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8091 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8092 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8093 that it's a citation.
8095 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8096 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8097 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8099 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8100 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8101 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8103 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8104 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8105 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8106 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8108 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8109 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8110 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8111 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8112 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8119 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8120 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8121 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8122 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8123 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8124 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8125 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8126 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8131 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8134 @node Article Fontisizing
8135 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8137 @cindex article emphasis
8139 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8140 @kindex W e (Summary)
8141 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8142 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8143 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8144 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8146 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8147 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8148 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8149 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8150 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8151 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8152 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8153 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8157 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8158 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8159 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8168 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8169 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8170 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8171 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8172 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8173 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8174 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8175 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8176 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8177 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8178 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8179 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8180 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8182 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8183 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8184 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8188 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8191 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8193 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8194 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8195 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8196 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8198 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8201 @node Article Hiding
8202 @subsection Article Hiding
8203 @cindex article hiding
8205 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8206 too much cruft in most articles.
8211 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8212 @findex gnus-article-hide
8213 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8214 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8215 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8218 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8219 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8220 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8224 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8225 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8226 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8227 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8230 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8231 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8232 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8236 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8237 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8238 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8239 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8240 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8241 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8242 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8243 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8247 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8248 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8249 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8250 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8255 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8256 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8257 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8258 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8261 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8262 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8263 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8264 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8267 @cindex stripping advertisements
8268 @cindex advertisements
8269 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8270 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8271 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8272 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8273 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8274 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8275 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8276 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8277 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8278 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8281 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8282 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8283 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8287 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8288 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8289 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8290 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8291 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8292 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8293 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8294 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8295 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8296 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8297 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8300 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8301 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8307 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8308 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8309 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8310 customizing the hiding:
8314 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8315 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8316 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8317 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8318 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8319 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8320 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8325 Starting point of the hidden text.
8327 Ending point of the hidden text.
8329 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8331 Number of lines of hidden text.
8334 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8335 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8336 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8337 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8338 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8343 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8344 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8346 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8347 following two variables:
8350 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8351 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8352 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8353 50), hide the cited text.
8355 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8356 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8357 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8362 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8363 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8364 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8365 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8366 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8367 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8371 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8372 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8373 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8375 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8376 citation customization.
8378 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8382 @node Article Washing
8383 @subsection Article Washing
8385 @cindex article washing
8387 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8388 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8390 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8391 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8394 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8395 articles by default.
8400 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8401 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8405 Force redisplaying of the current article
8406 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8407 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8408 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8409 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8412 @kindex W l (Summary)
8413 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8414 Remove page breaks from the current article
8415 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8419 @kindex W r (Summary)
8420 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8421 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8422 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8423 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8424 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8425 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8427 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8428 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8429 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8430 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8433 @kindex W m (Summary)
8434 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8435 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8439 @kindex W t (Summary)
8441 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8442 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8443 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8446 @kindex W v (Summary)
8447 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8448 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8449 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8452 @kindex W m (Summary)
8453 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
8454 Toggle whether to run the article through @acronym{MIME} before
8455 displaying (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
8458 @kindex W o (Summary)
8459 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8460 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8463 @kindex W d (Summary)
8464 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8465 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8467 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8469 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8470 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8471 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8472 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8475 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8476 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8477 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8478 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8481 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8482 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8483 @cindex Outlook Express
8484 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8485 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8486 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8489 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8490 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8491 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8492 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8493 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8494 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8495 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8496 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8497 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8498 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8501 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8502 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8503 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8504 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8507 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8508 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8509 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8510 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8513 @kindex W w (Summary)
8514 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8515 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8517 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8521 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8522 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8523 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8526 @kindex W C (Summary)
8527 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8528 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8529 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8532 @kindex W c (Summary)
8533 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8534 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8535 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8536 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8537 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8539 @kindex W q (Summary)
8540 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8541 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8542 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8543 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8544 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
8545 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
8546 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8547 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8548 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8551 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8552 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8553 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8554 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8555 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8556 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8557 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8558 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8561 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8562 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8563 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8564 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8565 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8568 @kindex W A (Summary)
8569 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
8570 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
8571 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
8572 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
8573 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
8576 @kindex W u (Summary)
8577 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8578 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8579 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8580 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8581 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8584 @kindex W h (Summary)
8585 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8586 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8587 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8588 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8590 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8592 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8593 The default is to use the function specified by
8594 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8595 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8596 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8597 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8605 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8608 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8611 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8614 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8619 @kindex W b (Summary)
8620 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8621 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8622 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8625 @kindex W B (Summary)
8626 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8627 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8628 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8631 @kindex W p (Summary)
8632 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8633 Verify a signed control message
8634 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8635 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8636 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8637 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8638 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8639 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8642 @kindex W s (Summary)
8643 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8644 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8645 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8646 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8649 @kindex W a (Summary)
8650 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8651 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8652 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8655 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8656 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8657 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8658 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8661 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8662 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8663 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8664 lines with a single empty line.
8665 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8668 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8669 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8670 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8671 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8674 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8675 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8676 Do all the three commands above
8677 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8680 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8681 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8682 Remove all blank lines
8683 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8686 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8687 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8688 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8689 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8692 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8693 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8694 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8695 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8699 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8702 @node Article Header
8703 @subsection Article Header
8705 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8710 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8711 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8712 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8715 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8716 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8717 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8718 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8721 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8722 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8723 Fold all the message headers
8724 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8727 @kindex W E w (Summary)
8728 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8729 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8730 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8735 @node Article Buttons
8736 @subsection Article Buttons
8739 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8740 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8741 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8742 button on these references.
8744 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8745 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8746 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8747 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8748 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8752 @item gnus-button-alist
8753 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8754 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8757 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8763 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8764 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8765 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8766 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8767 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8770 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8771 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8772 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8775 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8776 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8777 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8778 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8779 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8781 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8784 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8787 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8788 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8792 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8795 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8798 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8799 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8800 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8801 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8802 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8805 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8808 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8811 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8814 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8815 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8817 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8819 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8820 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8821 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8822 default values of the variables above.
8824 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8826 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8827 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8828 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8829 argument with a string naming the man page.
8831 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8833 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8834 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8835 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8837 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8838 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8839 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8840 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8841 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8842 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8843 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8844 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8845 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8846 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8847 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8848 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8850 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8851 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8852 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8853 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8854 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8857 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8858 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8859 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8860 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8862 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8864 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8865 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8866 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8867 argument, the string naming the URL.
8870 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8871 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8872 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8876 @item gnus-article-button-face
8877 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8878 Face used on buttons.
8880 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8881 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8882 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8886 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8889 @node Article Button Levels
8890 @subsection Article button levels
8891 @cindex button levels
8892 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8893 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8894 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8895 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8896 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8897 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8898 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8899 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8902 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
8903 (setq gnus-parameters
8904 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8905 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8906 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8911 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8912 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8913 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8914 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8915 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8916 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8918 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8919 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8920 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8921 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8922 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8923 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8924 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8925 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8926 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8927 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8928 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8929 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8930 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8932 @item gnus-button-man-level
8933 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8934 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8935 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8937 @item gnus-button-message-level
8938 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8939 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8940 Related variables and functions include
8941 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8942 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8943 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8944 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
8946 @item gnus-button-tex-level
8947 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
8948 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
8949 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
8950 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
8951 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
8952 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
8958 @subsection Article Date
8960 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8961 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8962 when the article was sent.
8967 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8968 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8969 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8970 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8973 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8974 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8976 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8977 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8980 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8981 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8982 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8985 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8986 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8987 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8988 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8991 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8992 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8993 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8994 @findex format-time-string
8995 Display the date using a user-defined format
8996 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8997 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8998 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8999 for a list of possible format specs.
9002 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9003 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9004 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9005 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9006 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9007 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9010 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9013 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9014 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9015 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9018 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9019 into wonderful absurdities.
9021 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9024 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9027 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9028 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9032 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9033 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9034 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9035 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9036 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9037 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9038 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9042 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9043 preferred format automatically.
9046 @node Article Display
9047 @subsection Article Display
9052 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9053 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9055 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9056 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9058 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9059 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9061 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9062 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9064 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9065 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9067 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9072 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9073 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9074 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9075 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9078 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9079 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9080 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9081 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9084 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9085 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9086 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9089 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9090 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9091 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9094 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9095 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9096 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9097 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9100 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9101 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9102 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9103 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9106 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9107 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9108 Remove all images from the article buffer
9109 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9115 @node Article Signature
9116 @subsection Article Signature
9118 @cindex article signature
9120 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9121 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9122 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9123 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9124 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9125 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9126 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9127 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9128 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9131 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9132 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9133 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9134 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9135 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9136 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9137 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9138 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9141 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9144 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9145 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9146 signature when displaying articles.
9150 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9153 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9156 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9157 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9159 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9160 in question is not a signature.
9163 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9164 listed above. Here's an example:
9167 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9168 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9171 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9172 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9173 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9174 signature after all.
9177 @node Article Miscellanea
9178 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9182 @kindex A t (Summary)
9183 @findex gnus-article-babel
9184 Translate the article from one language to another
9185 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9191 @section MIME Commands
9192 @cindex MIME decoding
9194 @cindex viewing attachments
9196 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9197 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9203 @kindex K v (Summary)
9204 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9207 @kindex K o (Summary)
9208 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9211 @kindex K c (Summary)
9212 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9215 @kindex K e (Summary)
9216 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9219 @kindex K i (Summary)
9220 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9223 @kindex K | (Summary)
9224 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9227 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9232 @kindex K b (Summary)
9233 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9234 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9238 @kindex K m (Summary)
9239 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9240 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9241 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9242 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9243 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9246 @kindex X m (Summary)
9247 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9248 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9249 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9250 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9253 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9254 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9255 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9256 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9259 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9260 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9261 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9262 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9265 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9266 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9267 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9268 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9270 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9271 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9272 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9273 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9274 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9275 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9278 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9279 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9280 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9281 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9288 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9289 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9290 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9291 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9294 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9297 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9301 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9302 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9303 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9304 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9305 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9306 default is @code{nil}.
9308 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9309 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9310 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9311 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9312 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9313 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9314 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9316 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9317 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9318 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9319 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9320 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9321 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9322 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9323 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9325 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9326 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9327 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9328 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9329 displayed. This variable overrides
9330 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9331 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9334 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9335 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9336 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9338 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9339 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9340 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9341 default value is @code{nil}.
9343 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9344 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9345 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9346 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9347 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9348 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9349 save all jpegs into some directory).
9351 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9354 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9355 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9357 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9358 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9359 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9360 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9361 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9364 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9365 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9366 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9368 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9369 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9370 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9372 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9373 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9374 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9376 If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
9377 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} in @ref{Display Customization,
9378 Display Customization, , emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}. Images or
9379 other material inside a "multipart/related" part might be overlooked
9380 when this variable is nil.
9382 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9383 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9384 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If t, it overrides nil
9385 values of @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9386 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9388 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9389 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9390 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9391 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9393 Ready-made functions include@*
9394 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9395 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9396 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9397 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9398 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9399 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9400 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9401 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9402 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9403 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9404 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9405 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9407 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9408 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9410 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9411 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9412 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9415 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9416 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9417 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9418 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9422 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9431 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9432 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9433 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9434 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9435 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9436 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9437 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9439 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9440 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9441 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9442 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9444 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9445 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9446 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9447 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9448 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9449 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9450 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9451 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9452 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9454 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9455 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9456 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9457 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9458 quoted-printable header encoding.
9460 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9461 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9462 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9466 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9469 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9470 means encode all charsets),
9472 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9473 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9474 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9481 @cindex coding system aliases
9482 @cindex preferred charset
9484 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
9485 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
9486 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
9488 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9490 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9491 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9494 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9495 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9498 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9499 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9501 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9504 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9507 This will almost do the right thing.
9509 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9513 (codepage-setup 1251)
9514 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9518 @node Article Commands
9519 @section Article Commands
9526 @kindex A P (Summary)
9527 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9528 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9529 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9530 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9531 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9532 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9537 @node Summary Sorting
9538 @section Summary Sorting
9539 @cindex summary sorting
9541 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9542 can't really see why you'd want that.
9547 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9548 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9549 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9552 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9553 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9554 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9557 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9558 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9559 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9562 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9563 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9564 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9567 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9568 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9569 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9572 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9573 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9574 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9577 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9578 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9579 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9582 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9583 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9584 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9587 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9588 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9589 Sort using the default sorting method
9590 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9593 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9594 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9595 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9596 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9597 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9601 @node Finding the Parent
9602 @section Finding the Parent
9603 @cindex parent articles
9604 @cindex referring articles
9609 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9610 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9611 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9612 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9613 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9614 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9615 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9616 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9617 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9619 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9620 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9621 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
9622 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9623 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9627 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9628 @kindex A R (Summary)
9629 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9630 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9633 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9634 @kindex A T (Summary)
9635 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9636 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9637 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9638 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9639 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9640 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9641 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9643 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9644 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9645 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9646 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9647 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9648 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9651 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9652 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9654 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9655 You can also ask the @acronym{NNTP} server for an arbitrary article, no
9656 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9657 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9658 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9659 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9660 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9663 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9664 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9665 by giving this command a prefix.
9667 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9668 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9669 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9670 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9671 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9672 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9675 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9676 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9677 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9680 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9681 then ask Google if that fails:
9684 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9686 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9689 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9690 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9691 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
9692 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9693 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
9694 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
9695 not support this at all.
9698 @node Alternative Approaches
9699 @section Alternative Approaches
9701 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9702 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9705 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9706 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9711 @subsection Pick and Read
9712 @cindex pick and read
9714 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9715 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9716 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9717 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9719 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9720 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9721 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9722 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9723 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9724 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9726 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9731 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9732 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9733 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9734 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9735 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9736 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9737 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9738 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9741 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9742 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9743 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9744 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9748 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9749 Unpick the thread or article
9750 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9751 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9752 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9753 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9754 the thread or article at that line.
9758 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9759 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9760 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9761 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9762 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9763 will still be visible when you are reading.
9767 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9768 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9769 which is mapped to the same function
9770 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9772 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9775 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9778 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9779 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9781 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9782 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9783 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9785 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9786 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9787 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9788 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9789 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9790 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9791 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9795 @subsection Binary Groups
9796 @cindex binary groups
9798 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9799 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9800 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9801 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9802 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9803 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9804 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9807 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9808 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9809 command, when you have turned on this mode
9810 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9812 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9813 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9817 @section Tree Display
9820 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9821 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
9822 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9823 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9826 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9829 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9830 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9831 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9833 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9834 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9835 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9836 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9837 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9839 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9840 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9841 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9842 default is @code{modeline}.
9844 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9845 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9846 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9847 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9848 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9849 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9850 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9856 The name of the poster.
9858 The @code{From} header.
9860 The number of the article.
9862 The opening bracket.
9864 The closing bracket.
9869 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9871 Variables related to the display are:
9874 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9875 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9876 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9877 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
9879 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9880 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
9881 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
9883 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9885 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9886 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9887 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9888 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9892 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9893 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9894 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
9895 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
9896 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9897 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9898 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9899 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9900 other windows displayed next to it.
9902 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9906 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9907 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9910 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9911 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9912 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9913 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9914 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9915 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9916 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9920 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9923 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9933 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9938 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9939 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9941 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9943 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9949 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9950 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9951 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
9954 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9955 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9956 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9957 (gnus-add-configuration
9961 (summary 0.75 point)
9966 @xref{Window Layout}.
9969 @node Mail Group Commands
9970 @section Mail Group Commands
9971 @cindex mail group commands
9973 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9974 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9976 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9977 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9982 @kindex B e (Summary)
9983 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9984 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9985 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9986 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9987 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9990 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9991 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9992 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9993 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9994 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9995 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9998 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9999 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10000 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10001 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10002 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10003 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10006 @kindex B m (Summary)
10008 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10009 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10010 Move the article from one mail group to another
10011 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10012 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10015 @kindex B c (Summary)
10017 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10018 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10019 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10020 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10021 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10024 @kindex B B (Summary)
10025 @cindex crosspost mail
10026 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10027 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10028 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10029 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10030 be properly updated.
10033 @kindex B i (Summary)
10034 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10035 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10036 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10037 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10040 @kindex B I (Summary)
10041 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10042 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10043 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10044 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10047 @kindex B r (Summary)
10048 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10049 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10050 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10051 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10052 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10053 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10054 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10055 (which is the default).
10059 @kindex B w (Summary)
10060 @kindex e (Summary)
10061 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10062 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10063 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10064 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10065 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10066 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10067 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10070 @kindex B q (Summary)
10071 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10072 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10073 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10074 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10077 @kindex B t (Summary)
10078 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10079 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10080 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10083 @kindex B p (Summary)
10084 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10085 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10086 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10087 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10088 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10089 article from your news server (or rather, from
10090 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10091 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10092 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10093 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10094 just not have arrived yet.
10097 @kindex K E (Summary)
10098 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10099 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10100 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10101 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10102 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10106 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10107 @cindex moving articles
10108 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
10109 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10110 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10111 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10112 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10113 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10114 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10117 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10118 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10119 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10120 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10124 @node Various Summary Stuff
10125 @section Various Summary Stuff
10128 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10129 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10130 * Summary Generation Commands::
10131 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10135 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10136 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10137 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10138 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10139 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10140 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10142 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10143 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10144 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10147 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10148 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10149 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10151 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10152 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10153 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10154 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10155 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10156 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10159 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10160 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10161 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10162 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10163 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10165 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10166 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10167 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10170 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10171 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10172 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10173 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10174 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10175 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10176 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
10177 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10178 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10179 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10181 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10182 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10183 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10184 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10185 list of articles to be selected.
10187 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10188 the list in one particular group:
10191 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10192 (if (string= group "some.group")
10193 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10197 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10198 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10199 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10200 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10201 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10204 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10205 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10206 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10207 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10208 variable will be used instead.
10210 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10211 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10212 buffers. For example:
10215 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10216 '(message-use-followup-to
10217 (gnus-visible-headers .
10218 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10221 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10225 @node Summary Group Information
10226 @subsection Summary Group Information
10231 @kindex H f (Summary)
10232 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10233 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10234 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10235 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10236 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10237 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10238 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10239 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10240 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10243 @kindex H d (Summary)
10244 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10245 Give a brief description of the current group
10246 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10247 rereading the description from the server.
10250 @kindex H h (Summary)
10251 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10252 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10253 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10256 @kindex H i (Summary)
10257 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10258 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10262 @node Searching for Articles
10263 @subsection Searching for Articles
10268 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10269 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10270 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10271 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10274 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10275 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10276 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10277 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10280 @kindex & (Summary)
10281 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10282 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10283 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10284 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10285 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10286 search backward instead.
10288 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10289 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10292 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10293 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10294 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10295 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10298 @node Summary Generation Commands
10299 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10304 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10305 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10306 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10309 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10310 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10311 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10312 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10315 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10316 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10317 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10318 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10323 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10324 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10330 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10331 @kindex A D (Summary)
10332 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10333 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10334 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10335 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10336 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10337 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10338 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10339 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10343 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10344 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10345 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10346 several documents into one biiig group
10347 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10348 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10349 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10350 command understands the process/prefix convention
10351 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10354 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10355 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10356 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10357 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10358 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10359 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10362 @kindex = (Summary)
10363 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10364 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10365 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10368 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10369 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10370 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10371 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10374 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10375 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10376 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10377 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10382 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10383 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10384 @cindex summary exit
10385 @cindex exiting groups
10387 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10388 group and return you to the group buffer.
10395 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10396 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10397 @kindex q (Summary)
10398 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10399 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10400 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10401 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10402 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10403 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10404 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10405 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10406 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10407 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10408 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10409 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10413 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10414 @kindex Q (Summary)
10415 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10416 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10417 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10421 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10422 @kindex c (Summary)
10423 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10424 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10425 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10426 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10429 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10430 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10431 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10432 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10435 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10436 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10437 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10438 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10442 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10443 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10444 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10445 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10446 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10447 all articles, both read and unread.
10451 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10452 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10453 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10454 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10455 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10456 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10457 articles, both read and unread.
10460 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10461 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10462 Exit the group and go to the next group
10463 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10466 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10467 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10468 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10469 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10472 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10473 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10474 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10475 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10476 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10477 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10480 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10481 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10482 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10483 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10485 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10486 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10487 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10488 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10489 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10490 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10491 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10492 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10493 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10494 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10495 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10496 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10498 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10500 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10501 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10502 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10503 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10504 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10505 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10506 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10507 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10508 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10511 @node Crosspost Handling
10512 @section Crosspost Handling
10516 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10517 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10518 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10519 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10520 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10521 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10524 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10525 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10526 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10527 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10528 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10530 @cindex cross-posting
10532 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10533 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10534 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10535 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10536 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10537 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10538 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10539 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10540 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10541 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10542 the cross reference mechanism.
10544 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10545 @cindex overview.fmt
10546 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10547 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10548 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10549 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10550 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10551 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10554 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10555 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10556 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10561 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10564 @node Duplicate Suppression
10565 @section Duplicate Suppression
10567 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10568 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10569 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10570 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10575 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10576 is evil and not very common.
10579 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10580 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10583 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10584 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10587 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10590 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10591 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10593 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10594 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10595 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10596 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10597 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10598 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10599 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10602 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10603 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10604 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10605 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10606 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10607 saw the article in.
10610 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10611 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10612 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10614 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10615 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10616 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10617 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10618 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
10619 session are suppressed.
10621 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10622 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10623 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10624 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10626 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10627 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10628 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10629 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10632 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
10633 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10634 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10635 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10636 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
10637 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10638 to you to figure out, I think.
10643 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10644 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10645 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10650 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10651 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10652 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10653 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10656 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10657 or newer is recommended.
10661 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10662 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10665 @item mm-verify-option
10666 @vindex mm-verify-option
10667 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10668 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10669 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10671 @item mm-decrypt-option
10672 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10673 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10674 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10675 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10678 @vindex mml1991-use
10679 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10680 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10681 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10685 @vindex mml2015-use
10686 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10687 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10688 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10693 @cindex snarfing keys
10694 @cindex importing PGP keys
10695 @cindex PGP key ring import
10696 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10697 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10698 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10699 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10700 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10701 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10702 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10703 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10704 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10707 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10710 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10711 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10714 @section Mailing List
10715 @cindex mailing list
10718 @kindex A M (summary)
10719 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10720 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10721 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10722 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10725 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10730 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10731 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10732 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10735 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10736 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10737 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10740 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10741 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10742 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10746 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10747 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10748 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10751 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10752 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10753 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10756 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10757 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
10758 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10763 @node Article Buffer
10764 @chapter Article Buffer
10765 @cindex article buffer
10767 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10768 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10769 tell gnus otherwise.
10772 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10773 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10774 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10775 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10776 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10780 @node Hiding Headers
10781 @section Hiding Headers
10782 @cindex hiding headers
10783 @cindex deleting headers
10785 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10786 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10788 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10789 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10790 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10791 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10792 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10793 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10794 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10795 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10796 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10798 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10802 @item gnus-visible-headers
10803 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10804 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10805 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10806 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10808 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10809 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10812 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10815 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10818 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10819 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10820 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10821 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10822 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10823 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10825 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
10826 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
10829 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10832 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10835 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10836 variable will have no effect.
10840 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10841 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10842 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10843 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10844 the headers are to be displayed.
10846 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10847 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10850 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10853 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10854 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10856 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10857 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10858 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10859 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10860 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10861 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
10862 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10865 These conditions are:
10868 Remove all empty headers.
10870 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10871 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10873 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
10874 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
10877 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10880 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10881 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
10883 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10884 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10886 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10887 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10889 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10892 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10894 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10897 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10900 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10901 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10904 This is also the default value for this variable.
10908 @section Using MIME
10909 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
10911 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10912 while people stand around yawning.
10914 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10915 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10917 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10918 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10919 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10921 @vindex gnus-show-mime
10922 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
10923 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
10924 gnus handles @acronym{MIME} by pushing the articles through
10925 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
10926 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
10927 calls the @acronym{SEMI} MIME-View program to actually do the work. For
10928 more information on @acronym{SEMI} MIME-View, see its manual page
10929 (however it is not existed yet, sorry).
10931 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
10932 @acronym{MIME} all the time. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime} set,
10933 then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article buffer.
10934 These can't be avoided.
10936 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
10937 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
10938 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
10939 @acronym{MIME} has decoded the sound file in the article and some
10940 horrible sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you
10941 can't find the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are
10942 starting to look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't,
10943 and you can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else
10944 in the room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll
10945 feel rather stupid.)
10947 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10949 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
10950 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
10951 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
10952 buffer when there are nobody else.
10954 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10957 @node Customizing Articles
10958 @section Customizing Articles
10959 @cindex article customization
10961 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10962 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10963 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10964 called automatically when you select the articles.
10966 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10967 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10968 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10969 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10971 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10972 for sensible values.
10976 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10979 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10982 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10985 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10988 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10992 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10993 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10994 regexps in the list.
10997 A list where the first element is not a string:
10999 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11000 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11001 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11005 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11009 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
11014 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11015 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11016 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11017 considered to contain just a single part.
11019 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11020 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11021 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11022 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11023 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11024 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11025 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11027 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11028 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11029 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11030 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11033 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11034 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11036 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11038 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11039 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11040 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11041 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11042 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
11043 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11044 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11045 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11046 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11047 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11048 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset (t, integer)
11050 @xref{Article Washing}.
11052 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11053 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11054 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11055 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11056 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11057 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11058 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11060 @xref{Article Date}.
11062 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11063 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11064 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11068 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11070 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11072 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11073 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11074 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11078 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11082 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11086 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11087 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11088 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11089 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11090 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11091 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11092 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11093 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11094 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11095 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11097 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11099 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11100 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11101 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11103 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11105 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11106 @item gnus-treat-translate
11107 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
11108 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11110 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11111 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11112 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11113 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11115 @xref{Article Header}.
11120 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11121 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11122 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11123 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11124 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11128 @node Article Keymap
11129 @section Article Keymap
11131 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11132 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11133 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11134 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11137 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11142 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11143 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11144 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11145 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11148 @kindex DEL (Article)
11149 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11150 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11151 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11154 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11155 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11156 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11157 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11158 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11161 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11162 @findex gnus-article-mail
11163 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11164 given a prefix, include the mail.
11167 @kindex s (Article)
11168 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11169 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11170 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11173 @kindex ? (Article)
11174 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11175 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11176 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11179 @kindex TAB (Article)
11180 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11181 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11182 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11185 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11186 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11187 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11190 @kindex R (Article)
11191 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11192 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11193 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11194 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11198 @kindex F (Article)
11199 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11200 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11201 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11202 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11210 @section Misc Article
11214 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11215 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11216 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11217 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11220 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11221 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11222 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11223 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11224 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11226 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11227 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11228 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11229 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11230 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11231 the contents of the article buffer.
11233 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11234 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11235 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11237 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11238 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11239 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11240 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11242 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11243 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11244 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11245 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11247 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11248 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11249 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11250 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
11251 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
11252 with two extensions:
11257 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11258 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11259 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11264 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11267 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11270 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11271 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11272 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11275 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11278 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11281 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11286 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11290 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11292 @item gnus-break-pages
11293 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11294 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11295 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11296 paging will not be done.
11298 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11299 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11300 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11304 @cindex internationalized domain names
11305 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11306 @item gnus-use-idna
11307 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11308 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11309 @samp{Cc} headers. This requires
11310 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11311 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11316 @node Composing Messages
11317 @chapter Composing Messages
11318 @cindex composing messages
11321 @cindex sending mail
11326 @cindex using s/mime
11327 @cindex using smime
11329 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11330 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11331 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11332 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11333 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11334 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11337 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11338 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11339 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
11340 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11341 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11342 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11343 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11344 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11345 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11348 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11349 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11355 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11358 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11359 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11360 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11361 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11362 @code{nil} include all headers.
11364 @item gnus-add-to-list
11365 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11366 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11367 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11369 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11370 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11371 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11372 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11373 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11374 confirmation is should be asked for.
11376 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11377 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11379 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11380 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11381 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11382 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11383 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11388 @node Posting Server
11389 @section Posting Server
11391 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11392 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11394 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11396 It can be quite complicated.
11398 @vindex gnus-post-method
11399 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11400 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11401 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11402 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11403 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11404 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11405 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11406 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11407 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11410 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11413 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11414 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11415 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11416 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11418 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11419 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11421 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11422 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11425 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11426 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11428 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11429 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11430 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11431 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11432 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11433 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11434 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11435 package correctly. An example:
11438 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11439 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11440 ;; @r{The following variable needs to be set if you are using smtpmail.el}
11441 ;; @r{distributed with FLIM, lesser than the version 1.14.6.}
11442 (setq smtp-default-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11445 To the thing similar to this, there is
11446 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
11447 requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
11448 @xref{POP before SMTP}.
11450 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11451 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11452 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11454 @node POP before SMTP
11455 @section POP before SMTP
11456 @cindex pop before smtp
11457 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
11458 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
11460 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
11461 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
11462 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
11463 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
11464 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11467 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
11468 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
11472 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
11473 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
11474 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
11475 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
11476 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
11477 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
11478 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
11479 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
11481 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
11482 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
11483 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
11484 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
11485 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
11486 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
11489 (setq mail-source-primary-source
11490 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11491 :password "secret"))
11495 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
11496 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
11499 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
11501 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
11502 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11503 :password "secret")))
11504 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
11507 @node Mail and Post
11508 @section Mail and Post
11510 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11514 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11515 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11516 @cindex mailing lists
11518 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11519 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11520 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11521 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11522 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11523 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11524 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11525 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11526 still a pain, though.
11528 @item gnus-user-agent
11529 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11532 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11533 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11534 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11535 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11536 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11537 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11538 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11542 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11543 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11544 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11547 @findex ispell-message
11549 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11552 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11553 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11556 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11560 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11561 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11563 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11566 Modify to suit your needs.
11569 @node Archived Messages
11570 @section Archived Messages
11571 @cindex archived messages
11572 @cindex sent messages
11574 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11575 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11576 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11577 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11580 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11581 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11584 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11585 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
11586 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11589 (nnfolder "archive"
11590 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11591 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11592 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11593 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11596 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11597 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11598 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11599 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11602 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11603 '(nnfolder "archive"
11604 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11605 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11606 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11609 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11611 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11612 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11613 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11615 This variable can be used to do the following:
11619 Messages will be saved in that group.
11621 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11622 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11623 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11624 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11625 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11626 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11627 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11628 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11631 @item a list of strings
11632 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11634 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11635 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11638 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11643 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11645 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11648 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11650 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11653 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11655 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11656 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11657 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11658 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11661 More complex stuff:
11663 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11664 '((if (message-news-p)
11669 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11670 messages in one file per month:
11673 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11674 '((if (message-news-p)
11676 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11679 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11680 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11682 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11683 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11684 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11685 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11686 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11687 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11688 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11689 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11690 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11691 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11693 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11694 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11695 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11696 this will disable archiving.
11699 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11700 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11701 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11702 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11703 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11706 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11707 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11708 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11711 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11712 but the latter is the preferred method.
11714 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11715 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11716 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11718 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11719 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11720 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11721 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11722 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11723 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11724 changed in the future.
11729 @node Posting Styles
11730 @section Posting Styles
11731 @cindex posting styles
11734 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11736 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11737 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11738 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11741 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11742 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11743 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11744 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11745 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11750 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11751 (organization "What me?"))
11753 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11754 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11755 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11758 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11759 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11760 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11761 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11762 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11763 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11764 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11765 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11767 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11768 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11769 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11770 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11771 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11772 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
11773 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11774 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11775 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11776 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11777 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11778 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11779 said to @dfn{match}.
11781 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11782 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
11783 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
11784 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
11785 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
11786 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
11787 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
11788 name can be one of:
11791 @item @code{signature}
11792 @item @code{signature-file}
11793 @item @code{x-face-file}
11794 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
11795 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
11799 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
11800 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
11801 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
11802 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
11803 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
11805 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11806 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11807 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11808 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11809 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11810 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11811 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11812 references chars lines xref extra.
11814 @vindex message-reply-headers
11816 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11817 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11818 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11820 @findex message-mail-p
11821 @findex message-news-p
11823 So here's a new example:
11826 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11828 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11830 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11831 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11833 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11834 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
11835 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11836 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
11837 (signature my-news-signature))
11838 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
11839 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11840 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
11841 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11842 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11843 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
11844 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11845 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11846 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11847 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11849 (From (save-excursion
11850 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11851 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11853 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11856 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11857 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11858 if you fill many roles.
11860 Setting the @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} variable will make
11861 posting-styles allow to have distinctive names. You can specify an
11862 arbitrary posting-style when article posting with @kbd{S P} in the
11863 summary buffer. @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} is an alist which maps
11864 the names to styles. Once a posting-style is added to the alist, we can
11865 import it from @code{gnus-posting-styles}. If an attribute whose name
11866 is @code{import} is found, Gnus will look for the attribute value in
11867 @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} and expand it in place.
11872 (setq gnus-named-posting-styles
11874 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11876 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11877 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11880 (organization "The Church of Emacs"))))
11883 The posting-style named "Emacs" will inherit all the attributes from
11884 "Default" except @code{organization}.
11891 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11892 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11893 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11894 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11895 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11897 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11898 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11899 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11900 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11901 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11905 @vindex nndraft-directory
11906 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11907 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11908 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11909 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11910 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11911 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11913 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11914 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11915 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11916 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11917 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11918 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11919 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11920 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11921 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
11923 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11924 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11925 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11926 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11927 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11928 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11929 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11930 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11931 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11932 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11933 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11934 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11935 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11936 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11938 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11939 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11940 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11942 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11943 @kindex D e (Draft)
11944 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11945 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11946 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11948 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11951 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11952 @kindex D s (Draft)
11953 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11954 @kindex D S (Draft)
11955 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11956 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11957 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11958 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11959 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11962 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11963 @kindex D t (Draft)
11964 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11965 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11966 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11969 @node Rejected Articles
11970 @section Rejected Articles
11971 @cindex rejected articles
11973 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11974 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11975 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11976 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11978 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
11979 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11980 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11981 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
11982 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11984 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11985 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11986 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11988 @node Signing and encrypting
11989 @section Signing and encrypting
11991 @cindex using s/mime
11992 @cindex using smime
11994 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
11995 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
11996 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
11997 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
11999 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12000 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12001 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12002 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12003 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12004 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12005 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12006 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12007 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12008 automatically encrypted messages.
12010 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12011 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12012 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12017 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12018 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12020 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12023 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12024 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12026 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12029 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12030 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12032 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12035 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12036 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12038 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12041 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
12042 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
12044 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12047 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
12048 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
12050 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12053 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
12054 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12055 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12059 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12061 @node Select Methods
12062 @chapter Select Methods
12063 @cindex foreign groups
12064 @cindex select methods
12066 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12067 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12068 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12069 personal mail group.
12071 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12072 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12073 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12074 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12075 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12076 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12078 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12079 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12081 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12084 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12085 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12086 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12087 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12088 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12090 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12093 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12094 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12095 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12096 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12097 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12098 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12099 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12100 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12104 @node Server Buffer
12105 @section Server Buffer
12107 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12108 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12109 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12110 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12111 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12112 back end represents a virtual server.
12114 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12115 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12116 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12117 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12119 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12120 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12121 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12122 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12123 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12124 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12125 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12127 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12128 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12131 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12132 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12133 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12134 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12135 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12136 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12137 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12140 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12141 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12144 @node Server Buffer Format
12145 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12146 @cindex server buffer format
12148 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12149 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12150 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12151 variable, with some simple extensions:
12156 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12159 The name of this server.
12162 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12165 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12168 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12169 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12170 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12171 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12181 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12184 @node Server Commands
12185 @subsection Server Commands
12186 @cindex server commands
12192 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12193 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12197 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12198 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12201 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12202 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12203 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12207 @findex gnus-server-exit
12208 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12212 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12213 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12217 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12218 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12222 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12223 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12227 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12228 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12232 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12233 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12234 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12239 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12240 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12241 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12242 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12247 @node Example Methods
12248 @subsection Example Methods
12250 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12253 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12256 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12262 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12263 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12266 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12267 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12269 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12270 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12274 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12277 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12278 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12280 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12281 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12282 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12286 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12289 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12292 Here's the method for a public spool:
12296 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12297 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12303 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12304 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12305 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12306 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12307 should probably look something like this:
12311 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12312 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12313 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12314 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12317 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12318 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12319 configuration to the example above:
12322 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12325 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12327 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12328 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12329 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12333 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12334 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12335 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12336 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12339 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12340 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12341 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12342 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12345 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12346 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12348 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12349 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12351 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12352 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12353 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12355 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12357 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12358 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12359 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12360 will contain the following:
12370 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12371 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12374 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12375 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12376 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12379 @node Server Variables
12380 @subsection Server Variables
12381 @cindex server variables
12382 @cindex server parameters
12384 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12385 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12386 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12387 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12388 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12390 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12391 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12392 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12393 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12394 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12395 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12396 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12397 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12398 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12402 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12403 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12404 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12407 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12409 @node Servers and Methods
12410 @subsection Servers and Methods
12412 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12413 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12414 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12415 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12419 @node Unavailable Servers
12420 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12422 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12423 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12424 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12425 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12426 actually the case or not.
12428 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12429 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12430 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12431 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12432 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12433 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12434 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12435 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12437 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12438 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12440 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12441 with the following commands:
12447 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12448 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12449 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12453 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12454 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12455 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12459 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12460 Mark the current server as unreachable
12461 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12464 @kindex M-o (Server)
12465 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12466 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12467 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12470 @kindex M-c (Server)
12471 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12472 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12473 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12477 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12478 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12479 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12483 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12484 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12490 @section Getting News
12491 @cindex reading news
12492 @cindex news back ends
12494 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12495 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12496 or it can read from a local spool.
12499 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12500 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12508 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12509 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12510 server as the, uhm, address.
12512 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12513 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12514 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12515 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12517 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12518 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12519 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12521 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12526 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12527 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12528 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12530 @cindex authentification
12531 @cindex nntp authentification
12532 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12533 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12534 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12535 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12536 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12537 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12538 present in this hook.
12540 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12541 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12542 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12543 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12544 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12545 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12546 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12547 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12548 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12549 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12550 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12551 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12555 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12558 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12560 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12561 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12562 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12563 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12564 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12565 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12566 @samp{force} is explained below.
12570 Here's an example file:
12573 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12574 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12577 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12578 have to be first, for instance.
12580 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12581 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12582 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12583 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12584 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12585 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12586 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12588 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12589 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12595 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12596 previously mentioned.
12598 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12600 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12601 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12602 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12603 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12604 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12607 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12608 '(("innd" (ding))))
12611 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12613 The default value is
12616 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12617 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12618 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12621 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12622 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12624 @item nntp-maximum-request
12625 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12626 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12627 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12628 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12629 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12630 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12631 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12633 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12634 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12635 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12636 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12637 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12638 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12639 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12640 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12641 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12642 no timeouts are done.
12644 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12645 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12646 @c @cindex PPP connections
12647 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12648 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12649 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12650 @c changes after connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will simply sit
12651 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12652 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12653 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12654 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12655 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12656 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12658 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12659 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12660 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12661 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12662 @c described above.
12664 @item nntp-server-hook
12665 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12666 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @acronym{NNTP}
12669 @item nntp-buggy-select
12670 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12671 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12673 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12674 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12675 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12676 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12679 @item nntp-xover-commands
12680 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12681 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12683 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12684 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12688 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12689 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12690 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12691 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12692 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12693 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12694 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12695 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12696 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12697 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12698 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12700 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12701 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12702 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12704 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12705 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12706 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12707 server closes connection.
12709 @item nntp-record-commands
12710 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12711 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12712 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12713 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12714 that doesn't seem to work.
12716 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12717 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12718 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12719 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12720 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12721 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12722 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12723 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12725 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12726 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12727 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12728 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12729 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12730 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12731 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12734 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12737 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12738 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12740 @item nntp-read-timeout
12741 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12742 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12743 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12744 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12745 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12748 @item nntp-list-options
12749 @vindex nntp-list-options
12750 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
12751 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
12752 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
12753 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
12754 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
12758 (setq gnus-select-method
12759 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12760 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
12763 @item nntp-options-subscribe
12764 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
12765 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
12766 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12767 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12768 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12769 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12772 (setq gnus-select-method
12773 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12774 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
12777 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
12778 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
12779 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
12780 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12781 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12782 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12783 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12786 (setq gnus-select-method
12787 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12788 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
12793 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12794 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12795 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12799 @node Direct Functions
12800 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12801 @cindex direct connection functions
12803 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12804 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12805 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12806 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12809 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12810 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12811 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12814 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12815 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12816 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12817 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12818 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12821 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12822 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12824 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12825 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12826 (nntp-port-number )
12827 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12830 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12831 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12832 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12833 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12834 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12835 then define a server as follows:
12838 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12839 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12841 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12842 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12843 (nntp-port-number 563)
12844 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12847 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12848 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12849 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12850 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12851 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12852 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12853 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12854 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12858 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12859 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12860 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12863 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12864 session, which is not a good idea.
12868 @node Indirect Functions
12869 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12870 @cindex indirect connection functions
12872 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12873 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12874 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12875 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12876 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12877 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12880 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12881 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12882 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12883 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12884 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12886 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12889 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12890 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12891 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12892 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12894 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12895 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12896 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12897 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12898 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12899 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12900 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
12901 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
12905 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
12906 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12908 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
12909 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
12910 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{netcat}
12911 (@uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/}) instead of @samp{telnet} to
12912 connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
12914 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
12917 @item nntp-via-netcat-command
12918 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
12919 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
12920 intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
12921 programs like @samp{connect}
12922 (@uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html}) instead.
12924 @item nntp-via-netcat-switches
12925 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
12926 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12927 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
12929 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12930 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12931 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12933 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12934 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12935 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
12938 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12939 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12940 Does essentially also the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12941 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12943 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12946 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12947 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12948 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12951 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12952 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12953 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12954 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12956 @item nntp-via-user-password
12957 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12958 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12960 @item nntp-via-envuser
12961 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12962 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12963 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12964 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12966 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12967 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12968 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12969 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12973 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
12974 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12978 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12983 @item nntp-via-user-name
12984 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12985 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12987 @item nntp-via-address
12988 @vindex nntp-via-address
12989 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12994 @node Common Variables
12995 @subsubsection Common Variables
12997 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12998 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13003 @item nntp-pre-command
13004 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13005 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
13006 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
13007 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
13008 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
13011 @vindex nntp-address
13012 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13014 @item nntp-port-number
13015 @vindex nntp-port-number
13016 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13017 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
13018 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
13019 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
13020 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
13021 not work with named ports.
13023 @item nntp-end-of-line
13024 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
13025 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
13026 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
13027 using a non native telnet connection function.
13029 @item nntp-telnet-command
13030 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13031 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
13032 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
13033 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13036 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13037 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13038 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
13045 @subsection News Spool
13049 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
13050 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
13051 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
13054 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
13055 anything else) as the address.
13057 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
13058 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
13059 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
13060 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
13064 @item nnspool-inews-program
13065 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
13066 Program used to post an article.
13068 @item nnspool-inews-switches
13069 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
13070 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
13072 @item nnspool-spool-directory
13073 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
13074 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
13075 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
13077 @item nnspool-nov-directory
13078 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
13079 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
13080 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
13082 @item nnspool-lib-dir
13083 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
13084 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
13086 @item nnspool-active-file
13087 @vindex nnspool-active-file
13088 The name of the active file.
13090 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
13091 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
13092 The name of the group descriptions file.
13094 @item nnspool-history-file
13095 @vindex nnspool-history-file
13096 The name of the news history file.
13098 @item nnspool-active-times-file
13099 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
13100 The name of the active date file.
13102 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
13103 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
13104 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
13107 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13108 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13110 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
13111 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
13112 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
13119 @section Getting Mail
13120 @cindex reading mail
13123 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
13127 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
13128 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
13129 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
13130 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
13131 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13132 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13133 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13134 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13135 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13136 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13137 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13138 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13139 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13143 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13144 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13146 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13147 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13148 of a culture shock.
13150 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13151 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13153 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13154 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13155 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13156 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13158 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13160 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13161 deleted? How awful!
13163 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13164 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13165 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13166 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13169 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13170 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13171 they want to treat a message.
13173 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13174 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13175 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13176 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13177 archived somewhere else.
13179 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13180 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13181 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13182 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13183 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13185 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13186 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13187 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13189 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13190 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13193 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13194 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13195 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13196 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13197 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13199 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13200 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13201 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13202 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13203 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13204 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13208 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13209 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13211 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13212 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13213 and things will happen automatically.
13215 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13216 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13219 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13222 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13223 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13224 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13225 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13226 like any other group.
13228 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13231 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13232 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13233 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13237 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13238 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13239 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13242 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13243 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13244 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13247 @node Splitting Mail
13248 @subsection Splitting Mail
13249 @cindex splitting mail
13250 @cindex mail splitting
13251 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13253 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13254 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13255 to be split into groups.
13258 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13259 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13260 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13261 ("mail.other" "")))
13264 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13265 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13266 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13267 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13268 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13269 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13270 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13273 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13277 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
13278 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
13280 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13281 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13282 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13283 mail belongs in that group.
13285 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13286 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
13287 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13288 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
13289 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
13290 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) When new groups are
13291 created by splitting mail, you may want to run
13292 @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to see the new groups.
13294 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13295 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13296 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13297 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13298 thinks should carry this mail message.
13300 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13301 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13302 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13303 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13305 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13306 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13307 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13308 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13309 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
13311 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13314 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13315 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13316 links. If that's the case for you, set
13317 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13318 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13320 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13321 @findex nnmail-split-history
13322 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13323 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13324 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13325 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13328 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13329 Header lines longer than the value of
13330 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13333 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13334 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13335 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13336 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13337 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13338 charset for decoding. The behaviour can be turned off completely by
13339 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13340 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13342 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13343 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13344 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13345 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13346 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13347 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13348 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13349 other kinds of entries.)
13351 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13352 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13353 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13354 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13355 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13356 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13357 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13358 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13359 month's rent money.
13363 @subsection Mail Sources
13365 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13366 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13367 maildir, for instance.
13370 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13371 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13372 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13376 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13377 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13379 @cindex mail server
13382 @cindex mail source
13384 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13385 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13390 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13393 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13394 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13395 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13398 The following mail source types are available:
13402 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13408 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13409 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13410 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13414 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13417 An example file mail source:
13420 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13423 Or using the default file name:
13429 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13430 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13431 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13432 mail spool while moving the mail.
13434 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13438 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13441 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13445 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13448 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13450 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13453 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13457 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13458 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13459 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13460 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13461 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13462 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13463 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13464 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13465 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13466 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13468 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13469 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13470 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13471 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13477 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13481 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13485 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13486 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13487 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13488 predicate are considered.
13492 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13496 An example directory mail source:
13499 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13504 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13510 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13511 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13514 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13515 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13516 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13517 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13518 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13521 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13525 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13526 the user is prompted.
13529 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13530 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13533 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13536 The valid format specifier characters are:
13540 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13541 included in this string.
13544 The name of the server.
13547 The port number of the server.
13550 The user name to use.
13553 The password to use.
13556 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13557 corresponding keywords.
13560 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13561 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13564 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13565 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13568 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13569 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13570 mail should be moved to.
13572 @item :authentication
13573 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13574 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13578 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this can be the symbol
13579 @code{ssl}, the symbol @code{tls} or others. The default is @code{nil}
13580 and use insecure connections. Note that for SSL/TLS, you need external
13581 programs and libraries:
13585 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL@. Requires OpenSSL (the program
13586 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
13587 library @samp{ssl.el}.
13589 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to SSL)@.
13590 Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
13595 Non-@code{nil} if mail is to be left on the server and UIDL used for
13596 message retrieval. The default is @code{nil}.
13600 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13601 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If the
13602 @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server} is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be
13603 left on the POP server after fetching.
13605 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13606 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13612 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13615 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13616 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13619 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13622 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13626 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13627 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13628 contains exactly one mail.
13634 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13635 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13638 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13639 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13641 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13642 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13643 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13646 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13647 from locking problems).
13651 Two example maildir mail sources:
13654 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13655 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13659 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13664 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13665 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13666 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13667 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13668 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13670 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13671 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13677 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13678 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13681 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13682 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13685 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13689 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13693 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13694 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13695 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13696 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13698 @item :authentication
13699 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13700 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13701 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13702 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13705 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13706 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13707 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13713 The valid format specifier characters are:
13717 The name of the server.
13720 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13723 The port number of the server.
13726 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13727 corresponding keywords.
13730 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13731 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13734 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13735 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13736 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13737 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13738 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13739 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13742 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13743 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13744 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13745 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13748 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13749 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13753 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13756 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13758 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13762 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
13763 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
13764 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
13766 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13767 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13769 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13775 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13776 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13779 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13783 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13787 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13788 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13792 An example webmail source:
13795 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13797 :password "secret")
13802 @item Common Keywords
13803 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13809 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
13810 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
13815 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13820 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13821 useful when you use local mail and news.
13826 @subsubsection Function Interface
13828 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13829 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13830 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13831 consider the following mail-source setting:
13834 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13835 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13838 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13839 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13840 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13841 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13842 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13844 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13847 @node Mail Source Customization
13848 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13850 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13851 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13855 @item mail-source-crash-box
13856 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13857 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
13858 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13860 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13861 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13862 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13863 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13864 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13865 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
13866 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13867 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13869 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13870 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13871 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13872 files. This variable only applies when
13873 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13875 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13876 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13877 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13879 @item mail-source-directory
13880 @vindex mail-source-directory
13881 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
13882 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
13883 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
13884 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
13886 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13887 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13888 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13889 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13890 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13891 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13893 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13894 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13895 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13897 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13898 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13899 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
13900 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13905 @node Fetching Mail
13906 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13908 @vindex mail-sources
13909 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13910 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13911 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13912 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13914 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13915 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13918 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
13919 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
13924 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13925 :password "secret")))
13928 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13932 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13933 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13936 :password "secret")))
13940 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13941 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13942 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13943 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13944 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13945 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13949 @node Mail Back End Variables
13950 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13952 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13956 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13957 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13958 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13959 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13961 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13962 @item nnmail-split-hook
13963 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13964 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
13965 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
13966 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13967 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13968 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13969 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13970 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13971 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13974 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13975 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13976 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13977 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13978 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13979 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13980 starting to handle the new mail) and
13981 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13982 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13983 default file modes the new mail files get:
13986 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13987 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13989 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13990 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13993 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13994 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13995 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13996 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13997 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13998 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13999 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
14001 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
14002 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
14003 @findex delete-file
14004 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
14006 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14007 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14008 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
14009 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
14010 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
14012 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14013 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14014 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
14015 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
14016 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
14018 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
14019 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
14020 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
14025 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
14026 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
14027 @cindex mail splitting
14028 @cindex fancy mail splitting
14030 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
14031 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
14032 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
14033 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
14034 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
14035 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
14037 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
14040 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
14041 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
14042 ;; @r{from real errors.}
14043 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
14045 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
14046 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
14047 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
14048 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
14049 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
14050 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
14051 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
14052 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
14053 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
14054 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
14055 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
14056 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
14057 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
14058 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
14059 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
14060 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
14061 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
14065 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
14066 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
14067 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
14072 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
14073 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
14075 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split})
14076 If the split is a list, the first element of which is a string, then
14077 store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field}
14078 (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict}
14079 (yet another regexp) matches some string after @var{field} and before
14080 the end of the matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If
14081 none of the @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
14083 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
14084 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
14085 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
14086 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
14087 stored in one or more groups.
14089 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
14090 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
14091 process all @var{split}s in the list.
14094 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
14095 this message. Use with extreme caution.
14097 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
14098 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
14099 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
14100 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
14103 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
14104 body of the messages:
14107 (defun split-on-body ()
14111 (goto-char (point-min))
14112 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
14116 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
14117 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
14118 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
14119 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
14120 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
14121 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
14122 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
14124 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
14125 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
14126 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
14127 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
14128 should return a split.
14131 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
14135 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
14136 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
14137 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
14138 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
14139 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
14141 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14142 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14143 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14144 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14145 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14146 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14147 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14151 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14153 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14154 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14156 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14159 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14160 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14161 when all this splitting is performed.
14163 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14164 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14165 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14168 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14171 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14172 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14174 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14175 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14176 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14177 groupings 1 through 9.
14179 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
14180 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
14181 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
14182 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
14183 groups when users send to an address using different case
14184 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
14187 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14188 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} controls whether partial
14189 words are matched during fancy splitting.
14191 Normally, regular expressions given in @code{nnmail-split-fancy} are
14192 implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers, which are word
14193 delimiters. If this variable is true, they are not implicitly
14194 surrounded by anything.
14197 (any "joe" "joemail")
14200 In this example, messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will
14201 normally not be filed in @samp{joemail}. With
14202 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} set to t, however, the
14203 match will happen. In effect, the requirement of a word boundary is
14204 removed and instead the match becomes more like a grep.
14206 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14207 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14208 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14209 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14210 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14211 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14212 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14213 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14214 it once per thread.
14216 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14217 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14218 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14219 using the colon feature, like so:
14221 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14222 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14224 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14225 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14229 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14230 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14231 in the file specified by the variable
14232 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14233 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14234 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14235 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14236 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14237 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14238 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14239 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14240 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14241 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14242 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14243 300 kBytes in size.)
14244 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14245 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14246 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14247 messages goes into the new group.
14249 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14250 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14251 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14252 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14253 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14254 ``outgoing'' group.
14257 @node Group Mail Splitting
14258 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14259 @cindex mail splitting
14260 @cindex group mail splitting
14262 @findex gnus-group-split
14263 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14264 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14265 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14266 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14267 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14268 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14269 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14270 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14272 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14273 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14274 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14275 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14277 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14278 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14279 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14280 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14281 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14282 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14283 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14285 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14286 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14287 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14288 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14289 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14290 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14291 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14293 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14294 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14295 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14296 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14297 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14298 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14299 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14300 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14301 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14302 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14303 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14304 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14305 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14307 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14312 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14313 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14315 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14316 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14317 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14318 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14320 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14323 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14324 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14325 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14328 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14329 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14330 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14334 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14335 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14336 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14340 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14343 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14344 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14345 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14346 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14347 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14348 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14349 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14350 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14351 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14353 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14354 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14355 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14356 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14357 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14358 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14359 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14360 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14361 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14363 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14364 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14365 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14366 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14367 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14368 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14371 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14374 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14375 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14376 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14377 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14378 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14381 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14382 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14383 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14384 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14386 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14387 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14388 @cindex incorporating old mail
14389 @cindex import old mail
14391 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14392 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14393 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14396 Doing so can be quite easy.
14398 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14399 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14400 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14401 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14402 your @code{nnml} groups.
14408 Go to the group buffer.
14411 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14412 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14415 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14418 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14419 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14422 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14423 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14426 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14427 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14428 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14429 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14430 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14432 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14433 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14434 using the new mail back end.
14437 @node Expiring Mail
14438 @subsection Expiring Mail
14439 @cindex article expiry
14441 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14442 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14443 different approach to mail reading.
14445 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14446 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14447 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14448 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14449 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14450 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14453 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14454 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14455 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14456 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14457 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14458 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14459 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14460 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14461 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14463 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14464 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14465 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14466 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14467 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14468 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14469 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14472 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14473 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14474 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14475 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14476 into its own group.)
14478 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14479 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14480 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14481 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14482 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14483 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14484 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14485 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14488 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14489 Groups that match the regular expression
14490 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14491 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14492 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14494 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14495 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14496 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14497 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14498 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14500 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14502 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14503 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14504 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14507 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14508 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14509 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14510 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14511 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14513 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14514 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14517 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14518 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14521 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14522 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14524 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14525 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14526 don't really mix very well.
14528 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14529 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14530 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14531 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14534 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14535 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14536 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14537 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14540 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14542 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14544 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14546 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14548 ((string= group "important")
14554 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14555 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14557 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14558 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14559 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14562 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14563 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14565 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14566 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14567 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14568 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14569 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14570 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14571 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14572 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14573 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14574 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14575 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14576 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14577 name or @code{delete}.
14579 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14581 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14584 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14585 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14586 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14587 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14588 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14591 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14592 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14593 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14594 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14595 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14598 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14599 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14600 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14601 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14602 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14603 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14605 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14606 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14607 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14608 easier for procmail users.
14610 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14611 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14612 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14613 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14614 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14615 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14616 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14617 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14618 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14619 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14620 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14621 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14622 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14625 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14627 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14628 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14629 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14630 auto-expire turned on.
14634 @subsection Washing Mail
14635 @cindex mail washing
14636 @cindex list server brain damage
14637 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14639 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14640 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14641 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14642 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14643 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14644 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14646 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14647 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14648 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14651 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14652 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14653 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14654 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14657 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14658 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14659 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14660 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14661 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14664 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14665 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14666 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14667 Emacs running on MS machines.
14671 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14672 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14673 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14674 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14677 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14678 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14679 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14680 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14682 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14683 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14684 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14685 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14686 into a feature by documenting it.)
14688 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14689 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14690 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14691 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14692 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14693 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14694 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14697 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14698 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14701 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14702 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14705 This can also be done non-destructively with
14706 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14708 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14709 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14710 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14712 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14713 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14715 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14716 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14717 @code{References} headers.
14721 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14722 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14723 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14727 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14728 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14729 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14736 @subsection Duplicates
14738 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14739 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14740 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14741 @cindex duplicate mails
14742 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14743 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14744 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14745 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14746 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14747 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14748 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14749 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14750 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14751 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14752 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14753 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14754 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14756 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14757 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14758 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14759 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14761 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14764 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14765 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14769 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14770 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14771 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14772 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14773 (any mail "mail.misc")
14774 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14780 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14781 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14782 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14786 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14787 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14788 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14789 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14790 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14793 @node Not Reading Mail
14794 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14796 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14797 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14798 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14800 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14801 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14802 mail, which should help.
14804 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14805 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14806 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14807 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14808 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14809 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14810 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
14811 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14812 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14813 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14814 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14816 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14817 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14821 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14822 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14824 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14825 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14826 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14828 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14829 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14830 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14834 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14835 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
14836 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14837 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14838 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14839 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14840 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14844 @node Unix Mail Box
14845 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14847 @cindex unix mail box
14849 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14850 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14851 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14852 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14853 which group it belongs in.
14855 Virtual server settings:
14858 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14859 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14860 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14863 @item nnmbox-active-file
14864 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14865 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14866 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14868 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14869 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14870 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14871 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14876 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14880 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14881 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14882 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
14883 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14884 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14886 Virtual server settings:
14889 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14890 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14891 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14893 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14894 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14895 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14896 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14898 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14899 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14900 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14906 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14908 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
14910 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14911 format. It should be used with some caution.
14913 @vindex nnml-directory
14914 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14915 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14916 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14917 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14919 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14922 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14923 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14924 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14925 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14926 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14927 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14928 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14929 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14931 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14932 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14933 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14934 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14936 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14938 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14939 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14940 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14941 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14942 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14943 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14944 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14945 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14948 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14949 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14950 them next time it starts.
14952 Virtual server settings:
14955 @item nnml-directory
14956 @vindex nnml-directory
14957 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14958 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14961 @item nnml-active-file
14962 @vindex nnml-active-file
14963 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14964 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14966 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14967 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14968 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14969 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14971 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14972 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14973 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14976 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14977 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14978 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
14979 default is @code{nil}.
14981 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14982 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14983 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14985 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14986 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14987 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14989 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14990 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14991 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14992 default is @code{nil}.
14994 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14995 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14996 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14998 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14999 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
15000 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
15005 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
15006 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
15007 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
15008 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
15009 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
15010 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
15011 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
15016 @subsubsection MH Spool
15018 @cindex mh-e mail spool
15020 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
15021 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
15022 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
15023 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
15026 Virtual server settings:
15029 @item nnmh-directory
15030 @vindex nnmh-directory
15031 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
15032 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15035 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
15036 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15037 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
15041 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
15042 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
15043 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
15044 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
15045 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
15046 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
15047 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
15052 @subsubsection Maildir
15056 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
15057 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
15058 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
15059 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
15060 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
15063 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
15064 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
15065 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
15066 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
15067 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
15068 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
15069 that appear as group in Gnus.
15071 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
15072 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
15073 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
15075 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
15076 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
15077 another, and you will keep your marks.
15079 Virtual server settings:
15083 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
15084 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
15085 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
15086 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
15087 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
15088 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
15089 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
15090 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
15091 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
15092 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
15094 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
15095 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
15096 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
15097 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
15098 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
15099 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
15100 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
15101 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
15102 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
15103 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
15106 @item target-prefix
15107 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
15108 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
15109 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
15112 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
15113 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
15114 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
15115 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
15116 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
15117 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
15118 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
15119 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
15120 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
15122 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
15123 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
15124 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
15125 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
15126 symlinks pointing to them will be).
15128 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
15129 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
15130 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
15131 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
15132 @code{force} argument.
15134 @item directory-files
15135 This should be a function with the same interface as
15136 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
15137 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
15138 parameter is optional; the default is
15139 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
15140 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
15141 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
15142 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
15143 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
15144 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
15147 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
15148 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15149 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15150 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15151 value is @code{nil}.
15153 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15154 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15155 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15156 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15157 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15160 @subsubsection Group parameters
15162 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15163 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15164 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15165 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15166 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15167 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15170 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15171 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15172 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15173 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15174 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15175 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15176 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15177 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15178 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15182 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15183 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15184 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15185 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15186 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overrideable by
15187 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
15188 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15189 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15190 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15191 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15192 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15193 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15196 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15198 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15200 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15201 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15202 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15203 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15204 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15205 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15206 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15207 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15208 article. So that form can refer to
15209 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15210 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir} does
15211 not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
15212 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15215 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
15216 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
15217 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
15218 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
15219 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
15220 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
15221 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
15222 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
15223 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
15224 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
15225 contain extra copies of the articles.
15227 @item directory-files
15228 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15229 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15230 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15231 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15233 @item distrust-Lines:
15234 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
15235 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15236 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15239 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
15240 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15241 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
15242 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
15243 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
15244 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15247 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15248 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15249 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
15250 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15251 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15252 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15253 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15255 @item nov-cache-size
15256 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
15257 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
15258 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
15259 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
15260 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
15261 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
15262 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
15263 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
15264 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
15265 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
15266 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15269 @subsubsection Article identification
15270 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15271 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15272 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
15273 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15274 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15275 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15276 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15277 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15278 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15279 request the article in the summary buffer.
15281 @subsubsection NOV data
15282 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
15283 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15284 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15285 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15286 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
15287 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
15288 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
15289 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
15290 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
15291 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
15292 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15294 @subsubsection Article marks
15295 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15296 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15297 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15298 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
15299 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15300 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
15301 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
15302 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15304 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15305 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15306 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15307 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15308 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
15309 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
15310 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
15311 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
15312 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
15316 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15318 @cindex mbox folders
15319 @cindex mail folders
15321 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
15322 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
15323 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
15324 numbers and arrival dates.
15326 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15328 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15329 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15330 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15331 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15332 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15333 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15334 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
15335 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
15336 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
15337 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
15339 Virtual server settings:
15342 @item nnfolder-directory
15343 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15344 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
15345 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
15346 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
15348 @item nnfolder-active-file
15349 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15350 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15352 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15353 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15354 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15355 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15357 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15358 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15359 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
15360 default is @code{t}
15362 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15363 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15364 @cindex backup files
15365 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15366 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
15367 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
15368 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
15371 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15372 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15374 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15377 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15378 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15379 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15380 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15381 extract some information from it before removing it.
15383 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15384 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15385 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15386 default is @code{nil}.
15388 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15389 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15390 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15392 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15393 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15394 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15395 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15397 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15398 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15399 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15400 default is @code{nil}.
15402 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15403 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15404 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15406 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15407 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15408 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15409 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15414 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15415 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15416 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15417 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15418 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15419 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15422 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15423 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15425 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15426 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15427 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15428 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15429 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15431 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15432 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15433 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15434 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15435 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15436 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15437 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15438 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15441 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15442 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15443 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15444 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15449 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15450 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15451 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15452 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15453 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15454 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15455 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15456 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15457 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15458 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15459 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15460 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15461 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15466 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15467 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15468 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15469 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15470 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15471 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15472 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15473 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15474 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15475 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15476 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15477 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15478 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15479 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15481 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15482 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15487 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15488 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15489 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15490 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15491 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15492 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15493 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15494 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15495 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15496 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15497 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15498 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15499 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15500 provided by the active file and overviews.
15502 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15503 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15504 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15505 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15506 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15509 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15510 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15515 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15516 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15517 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15518 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15519 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15520 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15521 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15525 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15526 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15527 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15528 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15529 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15530 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15531 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15532 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15533 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15535 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15536 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15537 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15538 friendly mail back end all over.
15542 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15543 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15546 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15547 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15548 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15549 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15550 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15551 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15552 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15553 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15556 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15557 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15558 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15559 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15560 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15561 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15562 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15563 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15564 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15565 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15566 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15568 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15569 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15570 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15571 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15572 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15575 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15576 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15577 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15578 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15579 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15580 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15581 removed in the future.
15583 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15584 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15585 on your file system.
15587 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15588 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15593 @node Browsing the Web
15594 @section Browsing the Web
15596 @cindex browsing the web
15600 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15601 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15602 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15603 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15604 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15605 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15606 even know what a news group is.
15608 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15609 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15610 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15611 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15612 you mad in the end.
15614 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15617 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15618 interfaces to these sources.
15622 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15623 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15624 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15625 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15626 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15627 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15630 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15632 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15633 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15634 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15635 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15636 though, you should be ok.
15638 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15639 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15640 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15641 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15642 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15644 @node Archiving Mail
15645 @subsection Archiving Mail
15646 @cindex archiving mail
15647 @cindex backup of mail
15649 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15650 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15651 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15652 marks is fairly simple.
15654 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15655 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15658 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15659 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15660 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15661 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15662 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15663 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15664 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15665 before you restore the data.
15667 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15668 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15669 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15670 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15671 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15672 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15673 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15674 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15675 is unnecessary in that case.
15678 @subsection Web Searches
15683 @cindex Usenet searches
15684 @cindex searching the Usenet
15686 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15687 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15688 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15689 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15690 searches without having to use a browser.
15692 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15693 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15694 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15695 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15696 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15698 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15699 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15700 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15701 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15702 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15703 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15704 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15705 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15706 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15707 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15710 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15711 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15712 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
15713 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15714 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15715 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15717 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15718 to use @code{nnweb}.
15720 Virtual server variables:
15725 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15726 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15727 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15730 @vindex nnweb-search
15731 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15733 @item nnweb-max-hits
15734 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15735 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15738 @item nnweb-type-definition
15739 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15740 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15741 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15746 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15750 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15753 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15756 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15760 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15767 @subsection Slashdot
15771 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
15772 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15773 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15775 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15776 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15779 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15780 '((nnslashdot "")))
15783 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15784 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15785 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15786 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15787 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15790 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15791 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15793 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15794 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
15795 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15796 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
15797 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
15798 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15799 @acronym{HTML} forms.
15801 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15804 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15805 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15806 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15807 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15808 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15809 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15810 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15812 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15813 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15814 The login name to use when posting.
15816 @item nnslashdot-password
15817 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15818 The password to use when posting.
15820 @item nnslashdot-directory
15821 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15822 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15823 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15825 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15826 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15827 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
15828 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
15829 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15831 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15832 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15833 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
15835 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15836 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15837 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
15838 article. The default is
15839 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15841 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15842 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15843 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15845 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15846 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15847 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15848 updated. The default is 0.
15855 @subsection Ultimate
15857 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15859 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
15860 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15861 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15862 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15864 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15865 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15866 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
15867 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15868 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15869 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15870 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15872 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15875 @item nnultimate-directory
15876 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15877 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
15878 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15883 @subsection Web Archive
15885 @cindex Web Archive
15887 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15888 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15889 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15890 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15893 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15894 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15895 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15896 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
15897 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
15898 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15899 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15900 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15902 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15905 @item nnwarchive-directory
15906 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15907 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
15908 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15910 @item nnwarchive-login
15911 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15912 The account name on the web server.
15914 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15915 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15916 The password for your account on the web server.
15924 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
15925 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
15926 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
15927 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
15928 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
15930 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
15931 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15933 @kindex G R (Summary)
15934 Use @kbd{G R} from the summary buffer to subscribe to a feed---you
15935 will be prompted for the location of the feed.
15937 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
15938 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET y}, then
15939 subscribe to groups.
15942 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
15943 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
15946 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
15947 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
15951 @defun nnrss-opml-export
15952 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
15953 @acronym{OPML} format.
15956 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15959 @item nnrss-directory
15960 @vindex nnrss-directory
15961 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15962 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15964 @item nnrss-use-local
15965 @vindex nnrss-use-local
15966 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
15967 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
15968 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
15969 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
15970 download script using @command{wget}.
15973 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15974 the summary buffer.
15977 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15978 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15980 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15982 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15983 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15986 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15989 (require 'browse-url)
15991 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15993 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15996 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15997 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
16000 (browse-url (cdr url))
16001 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
16002 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
16004 (eval-after-load "gnus"
16005 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
16006 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
16007 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
16010 @node Customizing w3
16011 @subsection Customizing w3
16017 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
16018 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
16019 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
16021 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
16022 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
16023 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
16026 (eval-after-load "w3"
16028 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
16029 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
16030 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
16031 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
16033 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
16036 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
16037 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
16044 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
16046 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
16047 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
16048 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
16049 specify the network address of the server.
16051 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
16052 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
16053 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
16054 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
16055 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
16056 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
16058 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
16059 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
16060 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
16061 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
16063 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
16064 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
16065 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
16066 usage explained in this section.
16068 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
16069 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
16070 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
16074 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16075 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
16076 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
16078 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16079 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
16080 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
16082 (nnimap-server-port 143)
16083 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16084 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
16085 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
16086 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
16087 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
16088 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
16089 (nnimap-stream network))
16090 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
16092 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
16093 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
16094 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
16097 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
16098 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
16099 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
16100 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
16102 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
16107 @item nnimap-address
16108 @vindex nnimap-address
16110 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
16111 server name if not specified.
16113 @item nnimap-server-port
16114 @vindex nnimap-server-port
16115 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
16117 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
16120 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16121 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
16124 @item nnimap-list-pattern
16125 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
16126 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
16127 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
16128 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
16129 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
16130 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
16132 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
16133 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
16134 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
16137 Example server specification:
16140 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16141 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
16142 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
16145 @item nnimap-stream
16146 @vindex nnimap-stream
16147 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
16148 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
16149 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
16150 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
16151 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
16153 Example server specification:
16156 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16157 (nnimap-stream ssl))
16160 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
16164 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
16165 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
16167 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
16169 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
16170 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
16173 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
16174 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
16176 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
16177 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
16179 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
16181 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
16184 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
16185 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
16186 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
16187 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
16188 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
16189 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
16190 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
16191 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
16192 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
16195 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
16196 needed. It is available from
16197 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
16199 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
16200 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
16201 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
16202 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
16203 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
16204 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
16205 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
16208 @vindex imap-ssl-program
16209 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
16210 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
16211 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
16212 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
16213 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
16214 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
16217 @vindex imap-shell-program
16218 @vindex imap-shell-host
16219 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
16220 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
16222 @item nnimap-authenticator
16223 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
16225 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
16226 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
16228 Example server specification:
16231 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16232 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
16235 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
16239 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
16240 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
16242 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16245 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16246 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16248 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16250 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16252 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16255 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16257 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16258 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16259 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16260 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16261 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16262 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16265 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16266 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16267 running in circles yet?
16269 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16270 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16273 The possible options are:
16278 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16281 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16282 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16283 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16284 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16286 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16291 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16292 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16294 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16295 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16296 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16297 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16298 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16301 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16302 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16305 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16306 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16307 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16308 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16311 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16312 as ticked for other users.
16314 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16316 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16318 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16319 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16320 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16321 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16323 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16324 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16325 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16326 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16328 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16329 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16331 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16332 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16333 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16334 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
16337 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
16340 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
16341 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
16342 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
16343 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
16346 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16347 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16349 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16350 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16356 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16357 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16358 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16359 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16360 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16361 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
16366 @node Splitting in IMAP
16367 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16368 @cindex splitting imap mail
16370 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16371 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16372 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16373 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16374 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16378 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16379 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16380 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16382 Here are the variables of interest:
16386 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16387 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16389 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16391 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16392 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16393 found will be used.
16395 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16397 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16398 @cindex splitting, inbox
16400 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16402 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16403 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16404 splitting is disabled!
16407 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16408 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16411 No nnmail equivalent.
16413 @item nnimap-split-rule
16414 @cindex splitting, rules
16415 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16417 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16420 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16421 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16422 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16423 Neither did I, we need examples.
16426 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16428 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16429 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16430 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16433 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16434 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16435 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16437 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16438 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16442 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16445 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16446 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16448 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16449 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16450 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16451 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16453 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16454 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16455 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16456 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16457 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16458 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16460 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16461 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16462 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16464 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16465 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16466 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16468 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16470 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16471 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16472 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16475 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16476 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16477 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16478 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16479 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16480 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16483 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16484 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16485 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16486 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16487 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16488 group/function elements.
16490 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16492 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16494 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16496 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16497 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16499 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16500 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16501 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16504 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16505 @cindex splitting, fancy
16506 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16507 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16509 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16510 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16511 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16513 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16514 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16515 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16516 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16521 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16522 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16525 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16527 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16528 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16529 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16531 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16532 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16533 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16534 splitting function that analyses the body to split the article.
16538 @node Expiring in IMAP
16539 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16540 @cindex expiring imap mail
16542 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16543 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16544 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16545 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16546 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16547 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16550 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16551 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16552 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16553 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16554 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16555 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16556 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16557 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16561 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16562 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16564 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16565 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16567 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16569 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16570 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16571 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16572 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16576 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16577 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16578 @cindex editing imap acls
16579 @cindex Access Control Lists
16580 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16581 @kindex G l (Group)
16582 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16584 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16585 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16586 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16589 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16590 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16591 editing window with detailed instructions.
16593 Some possible uses:
16597 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16598 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16599 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16601 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16602 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16603 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16607 @node Expunging mailboxes
16608 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16612 @cindex manual expunging
16613 @kindex G x (Group)
16614 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16616 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16617 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16618 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16620 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16623 @node A note on namespaces
16624 @subsection A note on namespaces
16625 @cindex IMAP namespace
16628 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16629 by the following text in the RFC:
16632 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16634 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16635 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16636 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16637 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16639 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16640 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16641 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16642 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16643 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16644 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16647 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16648 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16649 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16651 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16652 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16653 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16654 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16655 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16656 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16657 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16658 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16661 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16662 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16663 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16665 @node Debugging IMAP
16666 @subsection Debugging IMAP
16667 @cindex IMAP debugging
16668 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
16670 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
16671 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
16672 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behaviour, chances
16673 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
16675 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
16676 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
16677 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
16678 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
16679 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
16680 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
16681 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
16685 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
16686 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
16693 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
16694 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
16695 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
16696 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
16699 @node Other Sources
16700 @section Other Sources
16702 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16703 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16707 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16708 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16709 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16710 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16711 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16715 @node Directory Groups
16716 @subsection Directory Groups
16718 @cindex directory groups
16720 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16721 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16724 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16725 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16726 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16727 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16729 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16730 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16731 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16732 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16733 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16735 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
16737 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16738 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16739 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16740 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16743 @node Anything Groups
16744 @subsection Anything Groups
16747 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16748 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16749 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16752 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16753 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16754 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16755 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16756 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16757 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16758 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16759 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16760 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16761 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16764 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16765 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16766 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16767 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16769 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16770 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16771 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16772 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16774 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16775 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16776 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16777 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16778 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16779 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16780 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16781 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16786 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16787 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16788 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16789 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16791 @item nneething-exclude-files
16792 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16793 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16794 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16796 @item nneething-include-files
16797 @vindex nneething-include-files
16798 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16799 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16801 @item nneething-map-file
16802 @vindex nneething-map-file
16803 Name of the map files.
16807 @node Document Groups
16808 @subsection Document Groups
16810 @cindex documentation group
16813 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16814 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16821 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
16826 The standard Unix mbox file.
16828 @cindex MMDF mail box
16830 The MMDF mail box format.
16833 Several news articles appended into a file.
16836 @cindex rnews batch files
16837 The rnews batch transport format.
16838 @cindex forwarded messages
16841 Forwarded articles.
16844 Netscape mail boxes.
16847 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
16849 @item standard-digest
16850 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16853 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
16855 @item lanl-gov-announce
16856 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16858 @item rfc822-forward
16859 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16862 The Outlook mail box.
16865 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16868 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16871 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16874 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16880 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16883 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16889 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16890 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16891 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16894 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16895 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16896 group. And that's it.
16898 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16899 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16900 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16901 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16902 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16903 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16904 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16905 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16906 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16907 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16909 Virtual server variables:
16912 @item nndoc-article-type
16913 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16914 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16915 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16916 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16917 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16918 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16920 @item nndoc-post-type
16921 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16922 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16923 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16928 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16932 @node Document Server Internals
16933 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16935 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16936 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16937 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16938 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16940 First, here's an example document type definition:
16944 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16945 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16948 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16949 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16950 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16951 types can be defined with very few settings:
16954 @item first-article
16955 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16956 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16959 @item article-begin
16960 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16961 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16963 @item head-begin-function
16964 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16967 @item nndoc-head-begin
16968 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16971 @item nndoc-head-end
16972 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16973 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16975 @item body-begin-function
16976 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16980 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16983 @item body-end-function
16984 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16988 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16991 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16992 regexp will be totally ignored.
16996 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16997 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16998 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16999 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17000 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17003 @item prepare-body-function
17004 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17005 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17006 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17008 @item article-transform-function
17009 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17010 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17011 body of the article.
17013 @item generate-head-function
17014 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17015 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17016 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17017 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17021 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17026 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17027 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17028 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17029 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17030 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17031 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17032 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17033 (subtype digest guess))
17036 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17037 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17038 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
17039 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
17040 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
17042 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
17043 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
17044 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
17045 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
17046 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
17047 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
17048 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
17049 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
17050 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
17051 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
17052 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
17053 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
17061 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
17062 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
17063 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
17065 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
17066 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
17067 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
17070 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
17071 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
17072 that interested in doing things properly.
17074 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
17075 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
17078 First some terminology:
17083 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
17084 get news and/or mail from.
17087 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
17088 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
17091 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
17095 @item message packets
17096 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
17097 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
17098 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17100 @item response packets
17101 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
17102 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
17103 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17113 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
17114 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
17115 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
17116 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
17119 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
17122 You put the packet in your home directory.
17125 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
17126 the native or secondary server.
17129 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
17130 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
17133 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
17137 You transfer this packet to the server.
17140 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
17143 You then repeat until you die.
17147 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
17148 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
17151 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
17152 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
17153 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
17157 @node SOUP Commands
17158 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
17160 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
17164 @kindex G s b (Group)
17165 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
17166 Pack all unread articles in the current group
17167 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
17168 process/prefix convention.
17171 @kindex G s w (Group)
17172 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
17173 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
17176 @kindex G s s (Group)
17177 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
17178 Send all replies from the replies packet
17179 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
17182 @kindex G s p (Group)
17183 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
17184 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
17187 @kindex G s r (Group)
17188 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
17189 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
17192 @kindex O s (Summary)
17193 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
17194 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
17195 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
17196 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17201 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
17206 @item gnus-soup-directory
17207 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
17208 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
17209 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
17211 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
17212 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
17213 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
17214 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
17216 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
17217 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
17218 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
17219 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
17221 @item gnus-soup-packer
17222 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
17223 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17224 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
17226 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
17227 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
17228 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17229 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17231 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
17232 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
17233 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
17235 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17236 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17237 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
17238 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
17244 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
17247 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
17248 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
17249 you can read them at leisure.
17251 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
17255 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
17256 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
17257 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
17258 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
17260 @item nnsoup-directory
17261 @vindex nnsoup-directory
17262 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
17263 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
17265 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
17266 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
17267 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
17268 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
17270 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
17271 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
17272 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
17273 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
17274 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
17276 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
17277 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
17278 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
17279 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
17281 @item nnsoup-active-file
17282 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
17283 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
17284 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
17285 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
17286 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
17288 @item nnsoup-packer
17289 @vindex nnsoup-packer
17290 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
17291 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
17293 @item nnsoup-unpacker
17294 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
17295 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
17296 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17298 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17299 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17300 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17303 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17304 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17305 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17308 @item nnsoup-always-save
17309 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17310 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17316 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17318 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17319 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17320 more for that to happen.
17322 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17323 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17324 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17327 In specific, this is what it does:
17330 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17331 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17334 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17335 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17336 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17339 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17340 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17341 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17344 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17345 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17346 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17348 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17354 @item nngateway-address
17355 @vindex nngateway-address
17356 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17358 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17359 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17360 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17361 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17362 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17363 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17364 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17367 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17368 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17369 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17372 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17375 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17378 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17381 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17383 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17386 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17387 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17388 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17390 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17392 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17393 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17394 @code{nngateway-address}.
17402 (setq gnus-post-method
17404 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17405 (nngateway-header-transformation
17406 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17409 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17412 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17417 @node Combined Groups
17418 @section Combined Groups
17420 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17424 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17425 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17429 @node Virtual Groups
17430 @subsection Virtual Groups
17432 @cindex virtual groups
17433 @cindex merging groups
17435 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17438 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17439 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17440 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17442 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17443 regexp to match component groups.
17445 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17446 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17447 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17448 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17449 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17450 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17451 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17452 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17454 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17455 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17458 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17461 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17462 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17464 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17465 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17466 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17467 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17470 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17473 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17474 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17475 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17477 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17478 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17479 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17480 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17481 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17483 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17484 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17485 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17487 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17488 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17489 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17490 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17491 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17492 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17493 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17494 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17495 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17496 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17497 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17499 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17500 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17501 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17502 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17503 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17504 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17505 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17507 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17508 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17510 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17511 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17515 @node Kibozed Groups
17516 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17520 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17521 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17522 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17523 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17525 @kindex G k (Group)
17526 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17529 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17530 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17531 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17532 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17534 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17535 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17536 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17538 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17539 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17540 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17541 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17542 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17543 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17544 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17545 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17547 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17548 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17549 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17550 Stranger things have happened.
17552 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17553 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17555 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17556 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17557 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17558 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17559 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17560 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17561 component articles.
17563 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17564 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17567 @node Gnus Unplugged
17568 @section Gnus Unplugged
17573 @cindex Gnus unplugged
17575 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
17576 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
17577 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
17578 read news. Believe it or not.
17580 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
17581 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
17582 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
17583 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
17584 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
17586 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
17587 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
17588 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
17589 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
17590 reading news on a machine.
17592 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
17593 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
17594 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
17596 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
17599 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
17600 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
17601 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
17602 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
17603 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
17604 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
17605 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
17606 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
17607 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
17608 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
17609 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
17610 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17611 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17616 @subsection Agent Basics
17618 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17620 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17621 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17622 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17623 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17625 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17626 connected to the net continuously.
17628 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17629 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17631 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
17632 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
17633 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
17634 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
17635 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
17637 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
17638 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
17639 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
17640 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
17641 they're kinda like plugged always).
17643 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
17644 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
17645 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
17648 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
17649 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
17650 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
17651 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
17652 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
17654 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17659 @findex gnus-unplugged
17660 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17661 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17662 already fetched while in this mode.
17665 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17666 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17667 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17668 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
17669 Source Specifiers}).
17672 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
17673 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
17674 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
17675 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
17676 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
17679 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17680 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17681 then you read the news offline.
17684 And then you go to step 2.
17687 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17693 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17694 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17695 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17696 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17697 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17698 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17699 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17700 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17703 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17704 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17705 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17706 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
17708 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17709 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17710 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17711 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17712 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17713 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17717 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17721 @node Agent Categories
17722 @subsection Agent Categories
17724 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17725 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17726 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17727 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17728 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17729 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17730 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17732 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17733 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17734 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17735 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17736 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17738 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17739 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17740 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17741 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17742 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17745 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17746 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17747 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17748 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17749 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17750 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17754 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17755 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17756 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17760 @node Category Syntax
17761 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17763 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17764 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17765 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17768 @cindex Agent Parameters
17770 @item agent-cat-name
17771 The name of the category.
17774 The list of groups that are in this category.
17776 @item agent-predicate
17777 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17778 are eligible for downloading; and
17780 @item agent-score-file
17781 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17782 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17783 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17785 @item agent-enable-expiration
17786 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17787 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17788 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17789 only groups that should not be expired.
17791 @item agent-days-until-old
17792 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17793 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17795 @item agent-low-score
17796 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17798 @item agent-high-score
17799 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17801 @item agent-length-when-short
17802 an integer that overrides the value of
17803 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17805 @item agent-length-when-long
17806 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17808 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
17809 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
17810 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
17811 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
17812 undownloaded faces.
17815 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17818 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17819 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17820 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17823 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17824 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17825 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17826 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17828 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17829 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17830 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17832 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17833 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17834 operators sprinkled in between.
17836 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17838 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17839 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17845 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17846 short (for some value of ``short'').
17848 Here's a more complex predicate:
17857 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17858 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17861 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17862 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17863 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17865 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17866 you want to do, you can write your own.
17868 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17869 bound to the value determined by calling
17870 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17871 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17872 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17873 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17874 predicate to individual groups.
17878 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17879 lines; default 100.
17882 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17883 lines; default 200.
17886 True iff the article has a download score less than
17887 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17890 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17891 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17894 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17895 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17896 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17905 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17906 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17907 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17910 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17911 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17912 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17913 something along the lines of the following:
17916 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17917 "Say whether an article is old."
17918 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17919 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17922 with the predicate then defined as:
17925 (not my-article-old-p)
17928 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17929 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17933 (require 'gnus-agent)
17934 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17935 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17936 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17939 and simply specify your predicate as:
17945 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17946 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17947 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17948 just don't give a damn.
17950 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17951 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17952 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17953 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
17954 parameters like so:
17957 (agent-predicate . short)
17960 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17961 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17962 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17964 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17967 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17970 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17971 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17972 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17975 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17976 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17977 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17978 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17979 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17980 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17982 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17983 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17984 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17985 if it's to be specific to that group.
17987 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17994 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
17995 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
18001 Category specification
18005 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18011 Group/Topic Parameter specification
18014 (agent-score ("from"
18015 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18020 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
18026 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
18027 keywords stated above.
18033 Category specification
18036 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
18042 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
18046 Group Parameter specification
18049 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
18052 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
18057 Use @code{normal} score files
18059 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
18060 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
18061 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
18062 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
18064 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
18065 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
18066 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
18067 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
18071 Category Specification
18078 Group Parameter specification
18081 (agent-score . file)
18086 @node Category Buffer
18087 @subsubsection Category Buffer
18089 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
18090 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
18091 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
18093 The following commands are available in this buffer:
18097 @kindex q (Category)
18098 @findex gnus-category-exit
18099 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
18102 @kindex e (Category)
18103 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
18104 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
18105 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
18108 @kindex k (Category)
18109 @findex gnus-category-kill
18110 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
18113 @kindex c (Category)
18114 @findex gnus-category-copy
18115 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
18118 @kindex a (Category)
18119 @findex gnus-category-add
18120 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
18123 @kindex p (Category)
18124 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
18125 Edit the predicate of the current category
18126 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
18129 @kindex g (Category)
18130 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
18131 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
18132 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
18135 @kindex s (Category)
18136 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
18137 Edit the download score rule of the current category
18138 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
18141 @kindex l (Category)
18142 @findex gnus-category-list
18143 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
18147 @node Category Variables
18148 @subsubsection Category Variables
18151 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
18152 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
18153 Hook run in category buffers.
18155 @item gnus-category-line-format
18156 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
18157 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
18158 Variables}). Valid elements are:
18162 The name of the category.
18165 The number of groups in the category.
18168 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
18169 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
18170 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
18172 @item gnus-agent-short-article
18173 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
18174 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
18176 @item gnus-agent-long-article
18177 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
18178 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
18180 @item gnus-agent-low-score
18181 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
18182 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
18185 @item gnus-agent-high-score
18186 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
18187 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
18190 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
18191 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18192 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
18193 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
18194 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
18195 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
18196 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
18197 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18201 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18202 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18203 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18204 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18205 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18206 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18207 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18212 @node Agent Commands
18213 @subsection Agent Commands
18214 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18215 @kindex J j (Agent)
18217 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18218 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18219 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18223 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18224 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18225 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
18231 @node Group Agent Commands
18232 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
18236 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
18237 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
18238 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
18239 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
18242 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
18243 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
18244 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
18247 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
18248 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
18249 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
18250 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
18253 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
18254 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
18255 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
18256 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
18259 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
18260 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
18261 Add the current group to an Agent category
18262 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
18263 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18266 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
18267 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
18268 Remove the current group from its category, if any
18269 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
18270 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18273 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
18274 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18275 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
18281 @node Summary Agent Commands
18282 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
18286 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
18287 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
18288 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
18291 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
18292 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
18293 Remove the downloading mark from the article
18294 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
18298 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
18299 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
18300 Toggle whether to download the article
18301 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
18305 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18306 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18307 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
18310 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
18311 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18312 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18313 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18316 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18317 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
18318 Download all processable articles in this group.
18319 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
18322 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18323 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18324 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18325 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18330 @node Server Agent Commands
18331 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
18335 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
18336 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
18337 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
18338 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
18341 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
18342 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
18343 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
18344 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
18349 @node Agent Visuals
18350 @subsection Agent Visuals
18352 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
18353 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
18354 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
18355 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
18356 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
18357 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
18358 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
18359 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
18360 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
18361 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
18363 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
18364 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
18365 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
18366 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
18367 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
18368 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
18369 the download status of each article so that you always know which
18370 articles will be available when unplugged.
18372 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
18373 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
18374 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
18375 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
18376 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
18377 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
18378 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
18379 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
18381 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
18382 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
18383 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
18384 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
18385 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
18386 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
18387 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
18388 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
18389 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
18391 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
18392 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
18393 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
18394 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
18395 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
18396 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
18397 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
18398 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
18399 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
18400 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
18402 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
18403 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
18404 group parameter to t. This parameter, like all other agent
18405 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent
18406 Categories}), a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an
18407 individual group (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18409 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
18410 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
18411 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
18412 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
18413 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
18414 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
18415 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
18416 expiring'' articles.
18418 @node Agent as Cache
18419 @subsection Agent as Cache
18421 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
18422 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
18423 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
18424 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
18425 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
18426 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
18427 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
18428 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
18429 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
18431 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
18432 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
18433 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
18434 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
18435 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
18438 @subsection Agent Expiry
18440 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18441 @findex gnus-agent-expire
18442 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
18443 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
18444 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
18445 @cindex agent expiry
18446 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
18449 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
18450 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
18451 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
18452 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
18453 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
18454 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
18455 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
18456 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
18458 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
18459 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
18460 synchronized with the group.
18462 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
18463 prevent expiration in selected groups.
18465 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
18466 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
18467 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
18468 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
18469 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
18470 be kept indefinitely.
18472 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
18473 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
18474 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
18475 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
18477 @node Agent Regeneration
18478 @subsection Agent Regeneration
18480 @cindex agent regeneration
18481 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
18482 @cindex regeneration
18484 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
18485 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
18486 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
18487 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
18488 internal inconsistencies.
18490 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
18491 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
18492 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
18493 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
18494 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
18495 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
18497 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
18498 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
18499 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
18500 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
18501 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
18502 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
18504 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18505 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18506 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
18507 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
18508 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
18509 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
18512 @node Agent and IMAP
18513 @subsection Agent and IMAP
18515 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
18516 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
18517 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
18518 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
18520 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
18521 are kept on the @acronym{IMAP} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
18522 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
18523 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
18525 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
18526 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
18527 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
18528 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
18530 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18531 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
18532 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
18533 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
18534 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
18535 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
18537 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
18538 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
18539 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
18540 in the group buffer.
18542 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
18543 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
18548 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
18551 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
18555 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
18556 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
18557 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
18558 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group and
18559 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
18560 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
18561 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
18562 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
18565 @node Outgoing Messages
18566 @subsection Outgoing Messages
18568 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
18569 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
18570 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
18572 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
18573 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
18574 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
18576 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
18577 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
18578 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
18579 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
18582 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
18583 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
18584 ask you to confirm your action (see
18585 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
18587 @node Agent Variables
18588 @subsection Agent Variables
18593 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
18594 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
18595 automatically mark some backends as agentized. You may change which
18596 backends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
18598 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
18599 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
18602 @item gnus-agent-directory
18603 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
18604 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
18605 @file{~/News/agent/}.
18607 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
18608 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
18609 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
18610 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
18611 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
18614 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18615 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18616 Hook run when connecting to the network.
18618 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18619 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18620 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
18622 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18623 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18624 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
18626 @item gnus-agent-cache
18627 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
18628 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
18629 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
18630 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
18632 @item gnus-agent-go-online
18633 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
18634 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
18635 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
18636 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
18637 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
18638 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
18641 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18642 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18643 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
18644 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
18645 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
18646 read. The default is t.
18648 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18649 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18650 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
18651 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
18652 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
18653 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
18654 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
18655 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
18656 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
18657 over and over again.
18659 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18660 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18661 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
18662 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
18663 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
18664 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
18665 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
18666 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
18667 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
18668 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
18669 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
18670 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
18673 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
18674 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
18675 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
18676 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
18677 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
18678 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
18679 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
18680 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
18681 is only valid if the Agent is used.
18683 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18684 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18685 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
18686 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
18687 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
18688 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
18690 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
18691 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
18692 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
18693 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
18694 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
18696 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
18697 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
18698 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
18699 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
18700 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
18701 mail. The default is @code{t}.
18703 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
18704 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
18705 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
18706 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
18707 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
18709 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
18710 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
18711 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
18712 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
18713 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
18714 which backends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
18715 to agentize remote backends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
18716 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
18717 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
18718 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
18719 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
18724 @node Example Setup
18725 @subsection Example Setup
18727 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
18728 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
18729 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
18732 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
18733 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
18734 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
18736 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
18737 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
18738 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
18740 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
18741 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
18743 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
18744 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
18745 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
18748 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
18749 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
18752 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
18753 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
18754 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
18755 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
18756 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18759 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18760 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18761 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18762 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18763 back all the killed groups.)
18765 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18766 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18767 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18770 @node Batching Agents
18771 @subsection Batching Agents
18772 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18774 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18775 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18776 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18778 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18779 following incantation:
18783 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18787 @node Agent Caveats
18788 @subsection Agent Caveats
18790 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18791 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18795 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18797 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18798 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18799 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18801 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18802 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18804 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18808 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18809 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18810 locally stored articles.
18817 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18818 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18819 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18822 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18823 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18824 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18825 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18826 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18828 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18829 before generating the summary buffer.
18831 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18832 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18833 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18835 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18836 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18837 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18838 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18841 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18842 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18843 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18844 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18845 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18846 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18847 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18848 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18849 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18850 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18851 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18852 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18853 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18854 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18855 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18856 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18860 @node Summary Score Commands
18861 @section Summary Score Commands
18862 @cindex score commands
18864 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18865 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18866 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18867 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18868 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18870 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18871 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18872 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18873 score file the current one.
18875 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18880 @kindex V s (Summary)
18881 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18882 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18885 @kindex V S (Summary)
18886 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18887 Display the score of the current article
18888 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
18891 @kindex V t (Summary)
18892 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
18893 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
18894 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
18895 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
18896 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
18897 score file and edit it.
18900 @kindex V w (Summary)
18901 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
18902 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
18905 @kindex V R (Summary)
18906 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
18907 Run the current summary through the scoring process
18908 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
18909 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
18910 effect you're having.
18913 @kindex V c (Summary)
18914 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
18915 Make a different score file the current
18916 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
18919 @kindex V e (Summary)
18920 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
18921 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
18922 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
18926 @kindex V f (Summary)
18927 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
18928 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
18929 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
18932 @kindex V F (Summary)
18933 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18934 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
18935 after editing score files.
18938 @kindex V C (Summary)
18939 @findex gnus-score-customize
18940 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18941 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18945 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18950 @kindex V m (Summary)
18951 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18952 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18953 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18956 @kindex V x (Summary)
18957 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18958 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18959 expunge all articles below this score
18960 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18963 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18964 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18967 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18968 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18972 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18973 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18975 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18976 keys are available:
18980 Score on the author name.
18983 Score on the subject line.
18986 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18989 Score on the @code{References} line.
18995 Score on the number of lines.
18998 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
19001 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
19002 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
19005 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
19006 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
19007 @file{ADAPT} files.)
19016 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
19022 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
19023 what headers you are scoring on.
19035 Substring matching.
19038 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
19067 Greater than number.
19072 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
19073 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
19074 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
19079 Temporary score entry.
19082 Permanent score entry.
19085 Immediately scoring.
19089 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
19090 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
19091 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
19095 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
19096 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
19097 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
19098 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
19100 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
19101 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
19102 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
19103 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
19104 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
19106 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
19107 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
19108 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
19109 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
19110 current score file.
19112 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
19113 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
19114 pretend they are keymaps or not.
19117 @node Group Score Commands
19118 @section Group Score Commands
19119 @cindex group score commands
19121 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
19126 @kindex W e (Group)
19127 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
19128 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
19129 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
19132 @kindex W f (Group)
19133 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19134 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
19135 all the time. This command will flush the cache
19136 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
19140 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
19142 @findex gnus-batch-score
19143 @cindex batch scoring
19145 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
19149 @node Score Variables
19150 @section Score Variables
19151 @cindex score variables
19155 @item gnus-use-scoring
19156 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
19157 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
19158 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
19160 @item gnus-kill-killed
19161 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
19162 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
19163 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
19164 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
19165 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
19166 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
19167 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
19169 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
19170 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
19171 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
19172 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
19173 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
19175 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
19176 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
19177 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
19178 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
19180 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19181 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19182 @cindex score cache
19183 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
19184 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
19185 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
19186 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
19187 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
19188 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
19189 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
19192 @item gnus-save-score
19193 @vindex gnus-save-score
19194 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
19195 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
19196 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19198 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
19199 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
19200 across group visits.
19202 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19203 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19204 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
19205 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
19206 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
19207 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
19208 manually entered data.
19210 @item gnus-summary-default-score
19211 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
19212 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
19214 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
19215 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
19216 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
19217 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
19218 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
19219 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
19221 @item gnus-score-over-mark
19222 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
19223 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
19224 default. Default is @samp{+}.
19226 @item gnus-score-below-mark
19227 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
19228 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
19229 default. Default is @samp{-}.
19231 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19232 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19233 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
19234 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
19236 Predefined functions available are:
19239 @item gnus-score-find-single
19240 @findex gnus-score-find-single
19241 Only apply the group's own score file.
19243 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
19244 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
19245 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
19246 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
19247 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
19248 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
19249 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
19250 then a regexp match is done.
19252 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
19253 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
19255 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
19256 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
19257 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
19258 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
19260 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19261 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19262 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
19263 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
19264 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
19268 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
19269 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
19270 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
19271 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
19272 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
19273 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
19274 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
19277 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
19278 overall score file, you could use the value
19280 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
19281 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
19284 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
19285 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
19286 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
19287 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
19288 are expired. It's 7 by default.
19290 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19291 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19292 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
19293 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
19294 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
19295 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
19296 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
19297 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
19299 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19300 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19301 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
19303 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
19304 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
19305 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
19306 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
19307 threading---according to the current value of
19308 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
19309 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
19310 simplified in this manner.
19315 @node Score File Format
19316 @section Score File Format
19317 @cindex score file format
19319 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
19320 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
19321 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
19323 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
19327 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
19329 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
19331 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
19333 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
19338 (mark-and-expunge -10)
19342 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
19343 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
19344 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
19345 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
19349 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
19350 Scoring}, for a different approach.
19352 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
19353 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
19354 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
19356 Six keys are supported by this alist:
19361 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
19362 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
19363 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
19364 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
19365 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
19366 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
19367 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
19368 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
19369 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
19370 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
19371 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
19372 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
19373 to articles that matches these score entries.
19375 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
19376 score entry has one to four elements.
19380 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
19381 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
19385 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
19386 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
19387 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
19388 is successful. If this element is not present, the
19389 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
19390 instead. This is 1000 by default.
19393 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
19394 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
19395 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
19396 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
19397 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
19400 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
19401 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
19402 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
19403 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
19406 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
19407 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
19408 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
19409 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
19410 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
19411 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
19412 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
19413 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
19414 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
19415 instead, if you feel like.
19418 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
19419 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
19420 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
19421 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
19422 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
19423 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
19427 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
19428 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
19432 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
19433 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
19435 These predicates are true if
19438 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
19441 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
19442 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
19449 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
19450 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
19451 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
19452 it's not. I think.)
19454 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
19455 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
19456 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
19457 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
19460 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
19461 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
19462 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
19463 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
19464 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
19465 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
19466 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
19470 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
19471 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
19472 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
19473 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
19474 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
19475 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
19476 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
19477 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
19480 @item Head, Body, All
19481 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
19485 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
19486 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
19487 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
19488 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
19489 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
19490 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
19491 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
19495 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
19496 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
19497 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
19498 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
19499 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
19500 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
19501 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
19502 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
19503 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
19504 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
19505 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
19509 @cindex score file atoms
19511 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19512 lower than this number will be marked as read.
19515 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19516 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
19518 @item mark-and-expunge
19519 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19520 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
19523 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
19524 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
19525 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
19526 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
19527 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
19530 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
19531 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
19534 @item exclude-files
19535 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
19536 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
19540 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
19541 ignored when handling global score files.
19544 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
19545 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
19546 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
19547 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
19550 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
19551 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
19552 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
19553 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
19555 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
19559 (mark-and-expunge -100)
19562 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
19563 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
19564 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
19565 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
19566 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
19568 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
19569 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
19570 scoring rules exist.
19573 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
19574 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
19575 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
19576 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
19577 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
19578 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
19579 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19580 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
19581 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
19582 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
19583 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
19587 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
19588 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
19589 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
19590 file for a number of groups.
19593 @cindex local variables
19594 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
19595 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
19596 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
19597 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
19598 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
19603 @node Score File Editing
19604 @section Score File Editing
19606 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
19607 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
19608 with a mode for that.
19610 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
19611 additional commands:
19616 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
19617 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
19618 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
19619 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
19622 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
19623 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
19624 Insert the current date in numerical format
19625 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
19626 you were wondering.
19629 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
19630 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
19631 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
19632 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
19633 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
19638 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
19640 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
19641 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
19643 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
19644 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
19647 @node Adaptive Scoring
19648 @section Adaptive Scoring
19649 @cindex adaptive scoring
19651 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
19652 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
19653 stupidity, to be precise.
19655 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
19656 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
19657 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
19658 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
19659 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19660 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
19661 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
19662 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
19663 variable to @code{(word line)}.
19665 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19666 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
19667 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
19668 might look something like this:
19671 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19672 '((gnus-unread-mark)
19673 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
19674 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
19675 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
19676 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
19677 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
19678 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
19679 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
19680 (gnus-ancient-mark)
19681 (gnus-low-score-mark)
19682 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
19685 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
19686 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
19687 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
19688 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
19689 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
19690 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
19693 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
19694 will be applied to each article.
19696 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
19697 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
19698 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
19699 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
19701 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
19702 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
19703 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
19704 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
19706 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
19707 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
19708 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
19709 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
19711 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
19712 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
19713 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
19714 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
19715 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
19716 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
19718 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
19719 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
19720 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
19722 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
19723 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
19724 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
19726 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
19727 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
19728 let you use different rules in different groups.
19730 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
19731 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
19732 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
19735 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
19736 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
19737 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
19738 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
19739 the length of the match is less than
19740 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
19741 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
19744 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19745 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
19746 headers. If you adapt on words, the
19747 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
19748 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
19751 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19752 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
19753 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
19754 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
19755 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
19758 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
19759 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
19760 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
19761 score with 30 points.
19763 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
19764 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
19765 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
19766 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
19767 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19769 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19770 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19771 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19772 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19773 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19775 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19776 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19777 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19778 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19780 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19781 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19782 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19783 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19785 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19786 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19787 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19788 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19789 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19791 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19792 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19793 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19795 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19796 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19797 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19798 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19801 @node Home Score File
19802 @section Home Score File
19804 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19805 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19806 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19807 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19809 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19810 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19811 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19813 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19814 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19819 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19823 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19824 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19828 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19832 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19833 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19836 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
19837 be used as the home score file.
19840 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19843 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19848 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19851 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19852 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19855 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19856 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19858 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19860 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19861 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19864 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19865 Other functions include
19868 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19869 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19870 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19871 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19875 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19876 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19877 their own home score files:
19880 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19881 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
19882 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19883 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
19884 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
19887 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
19888 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
19889 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
19890 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
19891 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
19893 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
19894 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
19895 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
19896 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
19897 precedence over this variable.
19900 @node Followups To Yourself
19901 @section Followups To Yourself
19903 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
19904 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
19905 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
19906 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
19907 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
19908 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
19912 @item gnus-score-followup-article
19913 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
19914 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
19917 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
19918 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
19919 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
19923 @vindex message-sent-hook
19924 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
19925 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
19927 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
19931 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
19932 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
19936 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19937 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19940 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
19941 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19946 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19950 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19951 is system-dependent.
19954 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19955 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19956 @cindex scoring on other headers
19958 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19959 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19960 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19961 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19962 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19964 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19965 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
19966 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
19967 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
19968 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19970 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
19973 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19974 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19977 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19978 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19979 time if you have much mail.
19981 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19982 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19988 @section Scoring Tips
19989 @cindex scoring tips
19995 @cindex scoring crossposts
19996 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19997 the @code{Xref} header.
19999 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
20002 @item Multiple crossposts
20003 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
20004 more than, say, 3 groups:
20007 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
20011 @item Matching on the body
20012 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
20013 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
20014 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
20015 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
20016 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
20017 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
20018 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
20021 @item Marking as read
20022 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
20023 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
20024 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
20028 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
20030 @item Negated character classes
20031 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
20032 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
20033 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
20037 @node Reverse Scoring
20038 @section Reverse Scoring
20039 @cindex reverse scoring
20041 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
20042 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
20043 like this in your score file:
20047 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
20052 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
20053 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
20056 @node Global Score Files
20057 @section Global Score Files
20058 @cindex global score files
20060 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
20061 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
20062 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
20064 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
20065 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
20066 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
20068 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
20069 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
20070 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
20071 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
20072 files are applicable to which group.
20074 To use the score file
20075 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
20076 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
20080 (setq gnus-global-score-files
20081 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
20082 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
20085 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
20087 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
20088 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
20089 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
20090 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
20092 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
20093 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
20095 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
20096 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
20097 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
20098 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
20099 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
20100 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
20102 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
20108 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
20110 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
20112 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
20114 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
20115 lowered out of existence.
20117 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
20118 articles completely.
20121 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
20122 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
20123 old articles for a long time.
20126 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
20127 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
20128 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
20129 holding our breath yet?
20133 @section Kill Files
20136 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
20137 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
20138 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
20140 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
20141 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
20142 files into score files.
20144 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
20145 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
20146 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
20147 that isn't a very good idea.
20149 Normal kill files look like this:
20152 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20153 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
20157 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
20158 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
20160 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
20161 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
20164 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
20169 @kindex M-k (Summary)
20170 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
20171 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
20174 @kindex M-K (Summary)
20175 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
20176 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
20179 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
20184 @kindex M-k (Group)
20185 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
20186 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
20189 @kindex M-K (Group)
20190 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
20191 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
20194 Kill file variables:
20197 @item gnus-kill-file-name
20198 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
20199 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
20200 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
20201 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
20202 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
20203 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
20205 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20206 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20207 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
20208 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
20211 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
20212 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
20213 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
20214 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
20215 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
20216 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
20217 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
20218 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
20219 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
20221 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20222 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20223 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
20228 @node Converting Kill Files
20229 @section Converting Kill Files
20231 @cindex converting kill files
20233 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
20234 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
20235 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
20238 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
20239 You can fetch it from
20240 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
20242 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
20243 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
20244 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
20248 @node Advanced Scoring
20249 @section Advanced Scoring
20251 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20252 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20253 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20254 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20255 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20257 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20261 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20262 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20263 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20267 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20268 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20270 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20271 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20272 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20273 non-@code{nil} value.
20275 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20276 operator, and various match operators.
20283 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20284 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20285 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20290 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20291 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20292 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20297 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20298 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20302 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20303 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20304 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20305 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20306 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20307 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20308 the ancestry you want to go.
20310 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20311 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20312 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20313 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20314 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20317 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20318 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20320 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20321 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20324 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20325 when he's talking about Gnus:
20330 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20331 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20338 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20342 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20349 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20350 really don't want to read what he's written:
20354 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20355 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
20359 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20360 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20361 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20368 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20369 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20370 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20371 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20375 The possibilities are endless.
20378 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20379 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20381 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20382 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20383 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20384 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20385 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20386 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20387 @samp{subject}) first.
20389 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20390 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20401 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20402 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20408 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20415 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20416 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20421 @section Score Decays
20422 @cindex score decays
20425 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20426 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20427 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20428 use them in any sensible way.
20430 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20431 @findex gnus-decay-score
20432 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20433 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20434 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20435 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20436 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20437 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
20438 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
20439 definition of that function:
20442 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20443 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20444 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20446 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
20448 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20450 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20451 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
20452 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
20453 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
20454 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
20456 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
20460 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20461 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20462 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20463 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20467 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20470 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20473 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20477 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20478 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20479 the new score, which should be an integer.
20481 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20482 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20487 @include message.texi
20488 @chapter Emacs MIME
20489 @include emacs-mime.texi
20491 @include sieve.texi
20493 @c @include pgg.texi
20495 @c @include sasl.texi
20503 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
20504 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
20505 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
20506 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
20507 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
20508 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
20509 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
20510 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
20511 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
20512 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
20513 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
20514 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
20515 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
20516 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
20517 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
20518 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
20519 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
20520 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
20521 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
20522 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
20526 @node Process/Prefix
20527 @section Process/Prefix
20528 @cindex process/prefix convention
20530 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
20531 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
20533 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
20534 command to be performed on.
20538 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
20539 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
20540 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
20541 with the current one.
20543 @vindex transient-mark-mode
20544 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
20545 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
20547 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
20548 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
20551 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
20552 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
20554 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
20557 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
20558 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
20559 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
20560 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20562 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
20563 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
20564 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
20565 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
20566 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
20567 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
20568 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
20569 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
20571 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
20572 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
20573 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
20574 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
20575 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20579 @section Interactive
20580 @cindex interaction
20584 @item gnus-novice-user
20585 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20586 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20587 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20588 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20589 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20592 @item gnus-expert-user
20593 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20594 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20595 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20596 matter how strange.
20598 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20599 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20600 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20601 is @code{t} by default.
20603 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20604 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20605 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20610 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20611 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20612 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20614 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20615 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20616 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20617 rule of 900 to the current article.
20619 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20620 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20621 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20622 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20623 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20624 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20625 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20627 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20628 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20629 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20630 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20631 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20632 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20633 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20634 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20635 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20637 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20638 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20639 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20641 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20645 @node Formatting Variables
20646 @section Formatting Variables
20647 @cindex formatting variables
20649 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20650 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20651 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20652 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20653 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20656 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20657 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20658 lots of percentages everywhere.
20661 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20662 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20663 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20664 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20665 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20666 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20667 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20668 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20671 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20672 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20673 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20674 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20675 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20676 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20677 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20678 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20680 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20681 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20683 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20684 @findex gnus-update-format
20685 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20686 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20687 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20688 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20692 @node Formatting Basics
20693 @subsection Formatting Basics
20695 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20696 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20697 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20699 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20700 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20701 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20702 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20703 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20706 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20707 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20708 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20709 less than 4 characters wide.
20711 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20712 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20715 @node Mode Line Formatting
20716 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20718 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20719 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20720 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20721 with the following two differences:
20726 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20729 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20730 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20731 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20732 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20733 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20734 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20735 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20740 @node Advanced Formatting
20741 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20743 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20744 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20745 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20746 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20748 These are the valid modifiers:
20753 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20757 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20762 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20765 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20770 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20773 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20776 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20779 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20785 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20790 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20791 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20792 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20793 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20794 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20795 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20796 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20798 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20799 last operation, padding.
20801 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
20802 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
20803 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
20804 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
20805 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
20806 the look of your lines.
20807 @xref{Compilation}.
20810 @node User-Defined Specs
20811 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20813 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20814 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20815 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20816 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20817 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20818 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20819 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20820 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20821 should protect against that.
20823 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20824 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20826 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20827 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20828 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20829 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20833 @node Formatting Fonts
20834 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20836 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20837 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20838 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20839 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20842 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20843 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20844 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20845 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20846 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20847 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20849 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20850 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20851 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20852 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20853 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20854 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20855 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20856 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20857 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20858 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20859 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20862 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20865 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
20866 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20867 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20869 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
20870 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
20871 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
20872 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20873 ;; @r{Set the color.}
20874 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20875 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20877 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
20878 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20879 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20882 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20883 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20885 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20886 mode-line variables.
20888 @node Positioning Point
20889 @subsection Positioning Point
20891 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20892 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20893 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20895 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20897 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20898 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20899 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20901 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20902 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20903 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20908 @subsection Tabulation
20910 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20911 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20912 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20913 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20915 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
20916 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20918 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20919 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20920 This is the soft tabulator.
20922 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20923 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20924 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20927 @node Wide Characters
20928 @subsection Wide Characters
20930 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20931 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20932 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20934 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20935 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20936 these countries, that's not true.
20938 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20939 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20940 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20941 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20945 @node Window Layout
20946 @section Window Layout
20947 @cindex window layout
20949 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20951 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20952 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20953 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20954 @code{t} by default.
20956 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20957 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20959 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20960 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20961 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20964 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20965 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20966 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20970 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20971 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20972 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20973 possible names is listed below.
20975 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20976 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20979 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20983 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20984 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20985 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20986 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20987 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20988 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20989 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20990 size spec per split.
20992 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20993 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20994 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20995 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20996 present) gets focus.
20998 Here's a more complicated example:
21001 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
21002 (summary 0.25 point)
21003 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
21007 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
21008 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
21009 occupy, not a percentage.
21011 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
21012 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
21013 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
21014 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
21015 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
21018 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
21021 (article (horizontal 1.0
21026 (summary 0.25 point)
21031 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
21032 @code{horizontal} thingie?
21034 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
21035 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
21036 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
21037 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
21038 the screen is to be given to this strip.
21040 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
21041 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
21042 lines from the splits.
21044 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
21049 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
21050 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
21051 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
21052 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
21053 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
21054 size = number | frame-params
21055 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
21059 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
21060 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
21061 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
21062 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
21064 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
21065 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
21066 @cindex window height
21067 @cindex window width
21068 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
21069 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
21070 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
21071 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
21072 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
21073 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
21075 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
21076 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
21077 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
21078 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
21080 @findex gnus-configure-frame
21081 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
21082 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
21083 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
21084 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
21085 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
21086 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
21087 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
21088 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
21089 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
21090 configuration list.
21093 (gnus-configure-frame
21097 (article 0.3 point))
21105 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
21106 @code{frame} split:
21109 (gnus-configure-frame
21112 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
21114 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
21115 (user-position . t)
21116 (left . -1) (top . 1))
21121 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
21122 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
21123 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
21124 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
21125 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
21126 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
21127 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
21128 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
21130 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
21131 be found in its default value.
21133 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
21134 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
21135 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
21139 (message (horizontal 1.0
21140 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
21142 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
21147 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
21148 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
21149 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
21154 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
21155 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
21156 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
21157 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
21158 (name . "Message"))
21159 (message 1.0 point))))
21162 @findex gnus-add-configuration
21163 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
21164 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
21165 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
21166 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
21169 (gnus-add-configuration
21170 '(article (vertical 1.0
21172 (summary .25 point)
21176 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
21177 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
21178 Gnus has been loaded.
21180 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21181 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21182 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21183 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21184 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21186 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21187 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21188 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21191 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21195 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21196 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21211 (gnus-add-configuration
21214 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21216 (summary 0.16 point)
21219 (gnus-add-configuration
21222 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21223 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21229 @node Faces and Fonts
21230 @section Faces and Fonts
21235 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21236 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21237 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21242 @section Compilation
21243 @cindex compilation
21244 @cindex byte-compilation
21246 @findex gnus-compile
21248 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21249 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21250 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
21251 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
21252 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
21253 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21254 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21255 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21258 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21259 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21260 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21261 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
21262 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
21265 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
21266 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
21267 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
21268 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
21269 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
21274 @section Mode Lines
21277 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
21278 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
21279 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
21280 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
21281 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
21282 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
21283 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
21286 @cindex display-time
21288 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
21289 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
21290 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
21291 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
21292 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
21293 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
21294 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
21295 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
21298 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
21300 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
21301 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
21303 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
21304 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
21305 (length display-time-string)))))
21308 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
21309 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
21310 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
21311 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
21312 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
21315 @node Highlighting and Menus
21316 @section Highlighting and Menus
21318 @cindex highlighting
21321 @vindex gnus-visual
21322 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
21323 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
21324 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
21327 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
21328 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
21331 @item group-highlight
21332 Do highlights in the group buffer.
21333 @item summary-highlight
21334 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
21335 @item article-highlight
21336 Do highlights in the article buffer.
21338 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
21340 Create menus in the group buffer.
21342 Create menus in the summary buffers.
21344 Create menus in the article buffer.
21346 Create menus in the browse buffer.
21348 Create menus in the server buffer.
21350 Create menus in the score buffers.
21352 Create menus in all buffers.
21355 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
21356 buffers, you could say something like:
21359 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
21362 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
21365 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
21368 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
21369 in all Gnus buffers.
21371 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
21374 @item gnus-mouse-face
21375 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
21376 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
21377 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
21381 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
21385 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
21386 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
21387 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
21389 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
21390 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
21391 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
21393 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
21394 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
21395 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
21397 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
21398 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
21399 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
21401 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
21402 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
21403 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
21405 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
21406 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
21407 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
21418 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
21419 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
21420 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
21421 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
21422 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
21426 @vindex gnus-carpal
21427 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
21428 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
21429 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
21434 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21435 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21436 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
21438 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
21439 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
21440 Face used on buttons.
21442 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
21443 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
21444 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
21446 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21447 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21448 Buttons in the group buffer.
21450 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21451 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21452 Buttons in the summary buffer.
21454 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21455 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21456 Buttons in the server buffer.
21458 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21459 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21460 Buttons in the browse buffer.
21463 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
21464 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
21465 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
21473 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
21474 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
21475 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
21476 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
21477 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
21479 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
21480 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
21481 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
21483 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
21484 been idle for thirty minutes:
21487 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
21490 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
21494 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
21497 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
21498 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
21499 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21501 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
21502 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
21503 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
21504 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21506 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
21507 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
21508 @var{idle} minutes.
21510 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
21511 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
21514 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
21515 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
21516 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
21518 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
21519 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
21520 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
21521 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
21523 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
21524 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21526 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
21528 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
21531 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
21532 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
21533 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
21534 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
21535 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
21536 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
21537 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
21538 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
21539 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
21540 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
21541 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
21543 @findex gnus-demon-init
21544 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
21545 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
21546 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
21547 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
21548 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
21550 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
21551 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
21552 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
21561 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
21562 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
21564 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
21565 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
21566 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
21567 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
21570 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
21571 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
21572 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
21573 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
21575 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
21576 this will make spam disappear.
21578 There are some variables to customize, of course:
21581 @item gnus-use-nocem
21582 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
21583 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
21586 @item gnus-nocem-groups
21587 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
21588 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
21591 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
21592 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
21595 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21596 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21597 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21598 people you want to listen to. The default is
21600 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
21601 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
21603 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21605 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
21606 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21608 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21609 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21610 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21611 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21612 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21613 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21614 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21615 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21616 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21617 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21619 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21620 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21623 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21626 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21627 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21630 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21633 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21636 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21637 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21639 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21640 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21641 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21642 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21644 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21645 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21648 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21650 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21658 This might be dangerous, though.
21660 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21661 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21662 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
21663 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21665 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21666 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21667 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21668 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21669 might then see old spam.
21671 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21672 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21673 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21674 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21675 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21678 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21679 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21680 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21681 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21685 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21686 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21687 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21688 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21695 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21696 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21697 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21699 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21700 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21701 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21702 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21703 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21704 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21705 @code{undo} function.
21707 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21708 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21709 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21710 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21711 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21712 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21713 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21714 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21715 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21716 never be totally undoable.
21718 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21719 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21721 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21722 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21723 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21724 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21728 @node Predicate Specifiers
21729 @section Predicate Specifiers
21730 @cindex predicate specifiers
21732 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21733 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21734 to type all that much.
21736 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21741 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21742 gnus-article-unread-p)
21745 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21746 functions all take one parameter.
21748 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21749 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21750 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21751 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21756 @section Moderation
21759 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21760 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21761 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21764 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21768 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21771 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21773 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21778 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21779 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21780 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21783 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21784 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21787 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21788 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21792 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21795 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21796 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21800 @node Image Enhancements
21801 @section Image Enhancements
21803 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
21804 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
21805 taken advantage of that.
21808 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21809 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
21810 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21811 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21812 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21820 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21821 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21822 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21826 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21827 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21828 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21836 Gnus now uses the internal ELisp-based @code{uncompface} program for
21837 decoding an @code{X-Face} header normally in Emacs. While it doesn't
21838 require any other external program, you may feel it is slow if you are
21839 using a slow machine. In such a case, you can modify the following
21843 @item uncompface-use-external
21844 @vindex uncompface-use-external
21845 Specify which of the internal or the external decoder should be used.
21846 @code{nil} means to use the internal ELisp-based @code{uncompface}
21847 program. @code{t} means to use the external decoder. The default value
21848 is normally @code{undecided} which means to determine it by checking
21849 whether the host machine is slow, being controlled by
21850 @code{uncompface-use-external-threshold} (which see).
21852 @item uncompface-use-external-threshold
21853 @vindex uncompface-use-external-threshold
21854 A number of seconds to check whether the host machine is slow. If the
21855 host takes time larger than this value for decoding an @code{X-Face}
21856 using the internal ELisp-based @code{uncompface} program, it will be
21857 changed to using the external decoder. The default is 0.1 seconds.
21860 If the internal decoder is invalidated or if you are using XEmacs,
21861 decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21862 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21863 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21864 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21866 The variable that controls this is the
21867 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21868 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21869 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21870 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21871 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21873 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21874 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21875 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21876 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21879 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21880 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21881 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21882 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21883 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21884 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21885 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21886 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21888 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21896 @vindex gnus-x-face
21897 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
21898 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
21899 default colors are black and white.
21901 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
21902 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
21903 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
21904 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
21905 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
21906 XEmacs. Here are examples:
21909 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
21910 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
21911 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
21912 (png . (:ascent 80))))
21914 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
21915 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
21916 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
21917 (png . (:relief -2))))
21920 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
21921 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
21922 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
21923 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
21924 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
21925 @samp{libcompface} library.
21928 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21929 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21931 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21932 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21933 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21934 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21935 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21936 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21937 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21938 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21939 header data as a string.
21941 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21942 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21943 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21944 randomly generated data.
21946 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21947 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21948 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21949 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21950 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21952 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21953 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21956 (setq message-required-news-headers
21957 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21958 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21961 Using the last function would be something like this:
21964 (setq message-required-news-headers
21965 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21966 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21967 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21968 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21976 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces'implementations should really be harmonized.
21978 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
21979 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
21980 represent the author of the message.
21983 @findex gnus-article-display-face
21984 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
21985 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
21988 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
21989 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
21991 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21992 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
21994 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
21995 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
21996 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
21998 @findex gnus-face-from-file
21999 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
22000 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
22001 converts the file to Face format by using the
22002 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
22004 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
22005 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22008 (setq message-required-news-headers
22009 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22010 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
22011 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
22016 @subsection Smileys
22021 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
22026 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
22027 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
22029 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
22030 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22033 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
22036 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
22037 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
22038 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
22039 text and maps that to file names.
22041 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
22042 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
22043 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
22044 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
22045 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
22048 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
22053 @item smiley-data-directory
22054 @vindex smiley-data-directory
22055 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
22057 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
22058 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
22059 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
22073 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
22074 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
22075 over your shoulder as you read news.
22077 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
22086 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
22087 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
22088 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
22089 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
22090 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
22091 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
22092 @code{GIF} formats.
22095 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22096 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
22097 point your Web browser at
22098 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
22100 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
22101 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
22103 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
22104 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
22107 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
22111 @item gnus-picon-databases
22112 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22113 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
22114 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
22115 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
22116 "/usr/local/faces")}.
22118 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
22119 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
22120 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22121 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
22123 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
22124 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
22125 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
22126 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
22128 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
22129 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
22130 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22131 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
22132 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
22134 @item gnus-picon-file-types
22135 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
22136 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
22137 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
22143 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
22146 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22147 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22148 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
22149 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
22150 unusual directory structure.
22152 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22153 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22154 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
22155 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
22157 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22158 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22159 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
22160 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
22161 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
22162 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
22164 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22165 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22166 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
22171 @subsubsection Toolbar
22175 @item gnus-use-toolbar
22176 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
22177 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
22178 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
22179 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
22181 @item gnus-group-toolbar
22182 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
22183 The toolbar in the group buffer.
22185 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
22186 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
22187 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
22189 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22190 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22191 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
22202 @node Fuzzy Matching
22203 @section Fuzzy Matching
22204 @cindex fuzzy matching
22206 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
22207 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
22209 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
22210 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
22211 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
22213 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
22214 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
22215 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
22216 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
22217 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
22220 @node Thwarting Email Spam
22221 @section Thwarting Email Spam
22225 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22227 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
22228 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
22229 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
22230 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
22231 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
22232 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
22233 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
22234 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
22237 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
22238 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
22239 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
22240 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
22241 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
22242 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
22244 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
22247 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
22248 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
22249 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
22250 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
22251 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
22252 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22255 @node The problem of spam
22256 @subsection The problem of spam
22258 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22259 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22261 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22263 First, some background on spam.
22265 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22266 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
22267 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
22268 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
22269 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
22270 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
22271 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
22272 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
22273 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
22275 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
22276 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
22277 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
22278 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
22279 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
22280 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
22281 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
22282 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
22283 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
22286 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
22287 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
22288 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
22289 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
22290 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
22291 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
22292 from Bulgarian IPs.
22294 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
22295 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
22296 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
22297 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
22299 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
22300 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
22301 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
22302 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
22304 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
22305 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
22306 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
22307 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
22308 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
22309 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
22310 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
22311 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
22312 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
22314 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
22315 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
22316 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
22317 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
22318 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
22319 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
22320 down for some time because of the incident.
22322 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
22323 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
22324 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
22325 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
22326 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
22327 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
22328 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
22329 to store the database of spam analyses. Statistical analysis on the
22330 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
22331 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
22332 the server that it has misclassified mail.
22334 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
22335 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
22336 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
22337 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
22338 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
22339 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
22340 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
22343 @node Anti-Spam Basics
22344 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
22348 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22350 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
22351 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
22353 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
22354 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
22355 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
22356 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
22357 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
22358 part of the mail address.)
22361 (setq message-default-news-headers
22362 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
22365 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22366 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22370 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
22371 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
22372 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
22377 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
22378 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
22379 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
22380 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
22382 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
22383 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
22384 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
22385 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
22386 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
22387 your fancy split rule in this way:
22392 (to "larsi" "misc")
22396 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
22397 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
22398 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
22399 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
22400 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
22402 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
22403 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
22404 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
22405 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
22407 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
22411 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
22412 @cindex SpamAssassin
22413 @cindex Vipul's Razor
22416 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
22417 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
22418 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
22419 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
22420 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
22421 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
22422 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
22424 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
22425 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
22426 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
22429 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
22430 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
22431 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
22432 Specifiers}) follow.
22436 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
22440 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
22443 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
22444 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
22445 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
22448 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
22452 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22455 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
22456 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
22460 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
22461 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
22462 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
22463 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
22466 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
22468 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
22472 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
22473 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
22477 Note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will not be
22478 downloaded by default. You need to set
22479 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
22480 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
22482 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
22483 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
22484 spam. And here is the nifty function:
22487 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
22488 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
22490 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
22491 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
22492 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
22496 @subsection Hashcash
22499 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
22500 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
22501 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
22502 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
22503 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
22505 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
22506 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
22507 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
22508 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
22509 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
22510 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
22511 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
22512 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
22513 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
22514 one of them separately.
22517 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
22518 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
22519 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
22520 header. For more details, and for the external application
22521 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
22522 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
22523 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
22525 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
22529 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
22532 The @file{hashcash.el} library can be found in Gnus or at
22533 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}.
22535 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
22539 @item hashcash-default-payment
22540 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
22541 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
22542 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
22543 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
22545 @item hashcash-payment-alist
22546 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
22547 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
22548 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
22549 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
22550 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
22551 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
22552 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
22553 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
22555 @item hashcash-path
22556 @vindex hashcash-path
22557 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
22558 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's nil
22559 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
22560 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
22561 when you generate hashcash payments.
22565 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
22566 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
22567 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
22568 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
22569 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} backend to validate hashcash
22570 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly.
22572 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22573 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22574 @cindex spam filtering
22577 The idea behind @file{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
22578 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @file{spam.el} does two things: it
22579 filters new mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
22580 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @file{spam.el} to indicate
22583 First of all, you @strong{must} run the function
22584 @code{spam-initialize} to autoload @code{spam.el} and to install the
22585 @code{spam.el} hooks. There is one exception: if you use the
22586 @code{spam-use-stat} (@pxref{spam-stat spam filtering}) setting, you
22587 should turn it on before @code{spam-initialize}:
22590 (setq spam-use-stat t) ;; if needed
22594 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
22596 First, some hooks will get installed by @code{spam-initialize}. There
22597 are some hooks for @code{spam-stat} so it can save its databases, and
22598 there are hooks so interesting things will happen when you enter and
22599 leave a group. More on the sequence of events later (@pxref{Spam
22600 ELisp Package Sequence of Events}).
22602 You get the following keyboard commands:
22612 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
22613 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
22615 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
22616 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
22617 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
22618 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
22624 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
22625 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
22627 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
22633 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
22634 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
22638 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
22639 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
22640 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
22641 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
22642 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22643 * BBDB Whitelists::
22644 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
22645 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
22647 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22649 * SpamAssassin backend::
22650 * ifile spam filtering::
22651 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22653 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
22656 @node Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
22657 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
22658 @cindex spam filtering
22659 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
22662 You must read this section to understand how @code{spam.el} works.
22663 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
22665 There are two @emph{contact points}, if you will, between
22666 @code{spam.el} and the rest of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and
22669 Getting new mail is done in one of two ways. You can either split
22670 your incoming mail or you can classify new articles as ham or spam
22671 when you enter the group.
22673 Splitting incoming mail is better suited to mail backends such as
22674 @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap} where new mail appears in a single file
22675 called a @dfn{Spool File}. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Filtering of
22678 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect
22679 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect-methods
22680 For backends such as @code{nntp} there is no incoming mail spool, so
22681 an alternate mechanism must be used. This may also happen for
22682 backends where the server is in charge of splitting incoming mail, and
22683 Gnus does not do further splitting. The @code{spam-autodetect} and
22684 @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameters (accessible with
22685 @kbd{G c} and @kbd{G p} as usual), and the corresponding variables
22686 @code{gnus-spam-autodetect} and @code{gnus-spam-autodetect-methods}
22687 (accessible with @kbd{M-x customize-variable} as usual) can help.
22689 When @code{spam-autodetect} is used (you can turn it on for a
22690 group/topic or wholesale by regex, as needed), it hooks into the
22691 process of entering a group. Thus, entering a group with unseen or
22692 unread articles becomes the substitute for checking incoming mail.
22693 Whether only unseen articles or all unread articles will be processed
22694 is determined by the @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages}. When
22695 set to @code{t}, unread messages will be rechecked.
22697 @code{spam-autodetect} grants the user at once more and less control
22698 of spam filtering. The user will have more control over each group's
22699 spam methods, so for instance the @samp{ding} group may have
22700 @code{spam-use-BBDB} as the autodetection method, while the
22701 @samp{suspect} group may have the @code{spam-use-blacklist} and
22702 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods enabled. Every article detected to
22703 be spam will be marked with the spam mark @samp{$} and processed on
22704 exit from the group as normal spam. The user has less control over
22705 the @emph{sequence} of checks, as he might with @code{spam-split}.
22707 When the newly split mail goes into groups, or messages are
22708 autodetected to be ham or spam, those groups must be exited (after
22709 entering, if needed) for further spam processing to happen. It
22710 matters whether the group is considered a ham group, a spam group, or
22711 is unclassified, based on its @code{spam-content} parameter
22712 (@pxref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). Spam groups have the
22713 additional characteristic that, when entered, any unseen or unread
22714 articles (depending on the @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam}
22715 variable) will be marked as spam. Thus, mail split into a spam group
22716 gets automatically marked as spam when you enter the group.
22718 So, when you exit a group, the @code{spam-processors} are applied, if
22719 any are set, and the processed mail is moved to the
22720 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination}
22721 depending on the article's classification. If the
22722 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination},
22723 whichever is appropriate, are @code{nil}, the article is left in the
22726 If a spam is found in any group (this can be changed to only non-spam
22727 groups with @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only}), it is
22728 processed by the active @code{spam-processors} (@pxref{Spam ELisp
22729 Package Global Variables}) when the group is exited. Furthermore, the
22730 spam is moved to the @code{spam-process-destination} (@pxref{Spam
22731 ELisp Package Global Variables}) for further training or deletion.
22732 You have to load the @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
22733 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want spam to be processed
22734 no more than once. Thus, spam is detected and processed everywhere,
22735 which is what most people want. If the
22736 @code{spam-process-destination} is @code{nil}, the spam is marked as
22737 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
22739 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only backend such as
22740 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
22742 If a ham mail is found in a ham group, as determined by the
22743 @code{ham-marks} parameter, it is processed as ham by the active ham
22744 @code{spam-processor} when the group is exited. With the variables
22745 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
22746 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} the behavior can be further
22747 altered so ham found anywhere can be processed. You have to load the
22748 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
22749 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want ham to be processed
22750 no more than once. Thus, ham is detected and processed only when
22751 necessary, which is what most people want. More on this in
22752 @xref{Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples}.
22754 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only backend such as
22755 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
22757 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
22758 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
22759 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
22761 @node Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
22762 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
22763 @cindex spam filtering
22764 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
22767 To use the @file{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
22768 must add the following to your fancy split list
22769 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
22775 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
22776 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
22777 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
22779 Also, @code{spam-split} will not modify incoming mail in any way.
22781 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
22782 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
22783 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
22784 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}. Make sure the contents
22785 of @code{spam-split-group} are an @emph{unqualified} group name, for
22786 instance in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server} the value
22787 @samp{spam} will turn out to be @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The
22788 value @samp{nnimap+server:spam}, therefore, is wrong and will
22789 actually give you the group
22790 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam} which may or may not
22791 work depending on your server's tolerance for strange group names.
22793 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
22794 e.g. @code{spam-use-regex-headers} or @code{"maybe-spam"}. Why is
22797 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
22798 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
22801 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22802 (any "ding" "ding")
22804 ;; @r{default mailbox}
22808 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
22809 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
22810 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
22811 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
22812 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
22813 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
22815 You can let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, but all other
22816 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
22817 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
22822 ;; @r{all spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
22823 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
22824 (any "ding" "ding")
22825 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
22827 ;; @r{default mailbox}
22831 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
22832 your particular needs, and to target the results of those checks to a
22833 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
22834 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
22835 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
22836 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
22837 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
22839 You should still have specific checks such as
22840 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you
22841 specifically invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is
22842 that when loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done
22843 depending on what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. This
22844 is usually not critical, though.
22846 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
22848 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
22849 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
22850 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
22851 message headers. If you use @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
22852 @code{spam-check-ifile}, or @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that
22853 can benefit from the full message body), you should set this variable.
22854 It is not set by default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and
22855 that is not an appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user.
22857 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22859 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
22860 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
22863 @node Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
22864 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
22865 @cindex spam filtering
22866 @cindex spam filtering variables
22867 @cindex spam variables
22870 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
22871 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
22872 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
22873 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
22874 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
22875 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
22876 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
22877 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
22878 will be detected later.
22880 The format of the spam or ham processor entry used to be a symbol,
22881 but now it is a @sc{cons} cell. See the individual spam processor entries
22882 for more information.
22884 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
22885 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
22886 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
22887 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
22888 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
22889 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
22890 by customizing the corresponding variable
22891 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
22892 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
22893 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
22894 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
22895 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
22896 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
22897 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
22900 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
22902 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
22903 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
22904 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
22905 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
22906 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
22907 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
22908 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
22909 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
22910 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
22911 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
22912 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
22913 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
22914 processor which will study them as spam samples.
22916 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
22917 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
22918 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
22919 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
22920 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
22921 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
22922 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
22923 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
22926 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22927 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
22928 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
22929 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
22930 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
22931 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
22932 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
22937 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22938 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
22939 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
22940 you really want to.
22943 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
22944 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
22945 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
22946 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
22947 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
22948 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
22951 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
22952 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
22953 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
22954 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
22955 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
22956 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
22957 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
22958 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
22959 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
22960 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
22961 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
22962 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
22963 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
22964 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
22965 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
22967 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only backend such as
22968 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
22970 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
22971 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
22972 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
22974 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
22975 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
22977 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
22978 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
22979 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
22980 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
22981 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
22983 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
22984 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
22985 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
22986 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
22987 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
22990 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
22991 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
22992 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
22993 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
22994 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
22995 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
22996 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
22997 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
22998 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
22999 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
23000 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
23001 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
23002 group buffer then you need it here as well.
23004 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only backend such as
23005 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23007 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23008 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
23011 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
23012 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
23013 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
23014 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
23015 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
23016 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
23017 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
23019 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
23020 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
23021 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
23022 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
23024 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
23025 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
23026 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
23027 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
23028 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
23029 from the mail server.
23031 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
23032 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
23033 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
23034 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
23036 @node Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23037 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23038 @cindex spam filtering
23039 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
23040 @cindex spam configuration examples
23043 @subsubheading Ted's setup
23045 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
23047 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
23048 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
23049 (gnus-registry-initialize)
23052 ;; @r{I like @kbd{C-s} for marking spam}
23053 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map "\C-s" 'gnus-summary-mark-as-spam)
23056 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
23058 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
23059 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
23060 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23061 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23062 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
23063 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
23064 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
23065 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
23066 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23067 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
23068 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23069 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
23070 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
23071 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
23072 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23073 (any "ding" "ding")
23074 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
23076 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23079 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
23081 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
23082 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
23083 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
23084 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
23086 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23088 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
23089 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
23090 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
23091 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
23092 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23094 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
23095 ((spam-autodetect . t))
23097 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
23099 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
23100 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
23102 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
23103 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
23104 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
23106 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
23108 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
23109 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
23111 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
23112 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
23113 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
23115 (gnus-ticked-mark))
23116 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
23117 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
23118 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
23120 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
23121 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
23122 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
23126 @subsubheading Using @file{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
23127 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23129 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
23130 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
23131 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
23132 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
23133 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
23134 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
23135 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
23136 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
23137 @samp{training.spam} folders.
23139 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
23140 does most of the job for me:
23143 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
23144 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
23145 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
23146 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23147 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
23148 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
23149 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
23154 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
23156 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
23157 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
23158 bogofilter or DCC).
23160 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
23161 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
23162 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark (@code{ham-marks},
23163 @ref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). On group exit, those
23164 messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want to have
23165 the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter) and
23166 deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
23168 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
23169 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
23170 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
23171 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
23172 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
23173 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
23175 @item @b{Ham folders:}
23177 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
23178 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
23179 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
23180 @samp{training.ham}.
23183 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
23185 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23187 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
23188 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
23189 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
23193 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
23196 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
23197 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
23198 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
23199 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
23200 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
23202 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
23203 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
23204 @cindex spam filtering
23205 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
23206 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
23209 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
23211 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
23212 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
23213 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
23214 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
23219 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
23221 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
23222 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
23223 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23224 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
23225 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23229 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
23231 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
23232 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23233 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
23237 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
23239 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23240 customizing the group parameters or the
23241 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23242 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23243 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
23247 Instead of the obsolete
23248 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
23249 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
23250 the same way, we promise.
23254 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
23256 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23257 customizing the group parameters or the
23258 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23259 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23260 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
23265 Instead of the obsolete
23266 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
23267 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
23268 the same way, we promise.
23272 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
23273 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
23274 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
23275 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
23276 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
23278 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
23279 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
23280 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
23281 Emacs regular expression syntax.
23283 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
23284 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
23285 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
23286 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
23287 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
23288 @file{blacklist} respectively.
23290 @node BBDB Whitelists
23291 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
23292 @cindex spam filtering
23293 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
23294 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
23297 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
23299 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
23300 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
23301 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
23302 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
23303 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23304 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
23305 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23309 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
23311 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
23312 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23313 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
23314 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
23315 classified as spammers.
23319 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
23321 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23322 customizing the group parameters or the
23323 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23324 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23325 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
23330 Instead of the obsolete
23331 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
23332 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
23333 the same way, we promise.
23337 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
23338 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
23339 @cindex spam reporting
23340 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
23341 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
23344 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
23346 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23347 customizing the group parameters or the
23348 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23349 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
23350 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
23353 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
23357 Instead of the obsolete
23358 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
23359 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
23360 same way, we promise.
23364 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
23366 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
23367 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
23368 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
23369 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
23370 @code{spam-report.el} will use the @code{X-Report-Spam} header that
23375 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
23376 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
23377 @cindex spam filtering
23378 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
23381 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
23383 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
23384 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
23385 instead of the sender address. You must have the @code{hashcash.el}
23386 package loaded for @code{spam-use-hashcash} to work properly.
23387 Messages without a hashcash payment token will be sent to the next
23388 spam-split rule. This is an explicit filter, meaning that unless a
23389 hashcash token is found, the messages are not assumed to be spam or
23395 @subsubsection Blackholes
23396 @cindex spam filtering
23397 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
23400 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
23402 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
23403 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
23404 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
23405 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
23406 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
23407 contains outdated servers.
23409 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
23410 @file{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
23411 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
23412 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
23413 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
23414 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
23418 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
23420 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
23424 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
23426 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
23427 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
23431 @defvar spam-use-dig
23433 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
23434 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
23438 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
23439 ham processor for blackholes.
23441 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
23442 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
23443 @cindex spam filtering
23444 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
23447 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
23449 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
23450 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
23451 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
23452 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
23453 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
23454 message is spam or ham, respectively.
23458 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
23460 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
23461 the message, positively identify it as spam.
23465 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
23467 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
23468 the message, positively identify it as ham.
23472 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
23473 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
23476 @subsubsection Bogofilter
23477 @cindex spam filtering
23478 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
23481 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
23483 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
23486 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
23487 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
23488 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
23489 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
23490 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
23491 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
23493 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
23494 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
23497 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
23498 processing will be turned off.
23500 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
23504 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
23506 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
23507 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
23508 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
23509 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
23510 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
23511 installation documents for details.
23513 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
23517 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
23518 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23519 customizing the group parameters or the
23520 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23521 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
23522 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
23526 Instead of the obsolete
23527 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
23528 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
23529 the same way, we promise.
23532 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
23533 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23534 customizing the group parameters or the
23535 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23536 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
23537 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
23538 of non-spam messages.
23542 Instead of the obsolete
23543 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
23544 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
23545 the same way, we promise.
23548 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
23550 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
23551 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
23552 database directory.
23556 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
23557 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
23558 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
23559 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
23560 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
23561 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
23563 @node SpamAssassin backend
23564 @subsubsection SpamAssassin backend
23565 @cindex spam filtering
23566 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
23569 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
23571 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
23573 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
23574 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
23575 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
23576 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
23579 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
23580 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
23581 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
23582 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
23585 You should not enable this is you use
23586 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
23590 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
23592 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
23593 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
23595 You should not enable this is you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
23599 @defvar spam-spamassassin-path
23601 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
23602 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
23603 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
23604 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
23608 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
23609 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
23610 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
23611 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
23612 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
23613 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
23614 to test this functionality.
23616 @node ifile spam filtering
23617 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
23618 @cindex spam filtering
23619 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
23622 @defvar spam-use-ifile
23624 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
23625 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
23629 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
23631 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
23632 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
23633 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
23637 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
23639 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
23640 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
23641 the default value of @samp{spam}.
23644 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
23646 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
23647 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
23651 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
23652 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
23653 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
23654 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
23657 @node spam-stat spam filtering
23658 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
23659 @cindex spam filtering
23660 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
23664 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
23666 @defvar spam-use-stat
23668 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
23669 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
23673 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
23674 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23675 customizing the group parameters or the
23676 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23677 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
23678 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
23682 Instead of the obsolete
23683 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
23684 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
23685 the same way, we promise.
23688 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
23689 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23690 customizing the group parameters or the
23691 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23692 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
23693 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
23694 of non-spam messages.
23698 Instead of the obsolete
23699 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
23700 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
23701 the same way, we promise.
23704 This enables @file{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
23705 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
23706 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
23707 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
23708 @code{spam-split} are provided.
23711 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
23712 @cindex spam filtering
23716 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
23717 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
23718 installed separately.
23720 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
23721 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
23722 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
23723 mail as a spam mail or not.
23725 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
23726 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
23727 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
23729 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
23730 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
23732 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
23733 To enable SpamOracle usage by @file{spam.el}, set the variable
23734 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
23735 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
23736 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
23737 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
23738 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
23739 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
23743 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
23744 spam-split-group "Junk"
23745 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
23746 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23747 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
23750 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
23751 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
23755 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
23756 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
23757 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
23761 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
23762 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
23763 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
23764 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
23765 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
23766 database to live somewhere special, set
23767 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
23770 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
23771 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
23772 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
23773 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
23774 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
23775 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
23776 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @file{spam.el}'s
23777 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
23778 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
23779 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
23781 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
23782 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23783 customizing the group parameter or the
23784 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23785 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
23786 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
23790 Instead of the obsolete
23791 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
23792 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
23793 the same way, we promise.
23796 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
23797 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23798 customizing the group parameter or the
23799 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23800 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
23801 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
23806 Instead of the obsolete
23807 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
23808 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
23809 the same way, we promise.
23812 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
23813 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
23816 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
23817 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
23818 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
23820 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
23821 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
23822 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
23823 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
23824 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
23825 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
23827 @node Extending the Spam ELisp package
23828 @subsubsection Extending the Spam ELisp package
23829 @cindex spam filtering
23830 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
23831 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
23833 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
23834 incoming mail, provide the following:
23842 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
23843 "True if blackbox should be used.")
23848 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
23850 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
23854 (gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox ham spam-use-blackbox)
23855 (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox spam spam-use-blackbox)
23858 to @code{spam-list-of-processors}.
23862 (spam-use-blackbox spam-blackbox-register-routine
23864 spam-blackbox-unregister-routine
23868 to @code{spam-registration-functions}. Write the register/unregister
23869 routines using the bogofilter register/unregister routines as a
23870 start, or other restister/unregister routines more appropriate to
23876 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
23877 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other
23878 conventions. See the existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for
23879 examples of what you can do, and stick to the template unless you
23880 fully understand the reasons why you aren't.
23882 Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
23883 @code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
23884 mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
23888 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
23895 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
23896 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
23898 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
23899 variables. Instead the form @code{'(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
23900 @code{'(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
23901 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
23904 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
23905 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
23906 Only applicable to spam groups.")
23908 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
23909 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
23910 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
23919 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
23920 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
23922 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
23923 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
23924 variable customization.
23928 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
23930 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
23936 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23937 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23938 @cindex Paul Graham
23939 @cindex Graham, Paul
23940 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
23941 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
23942 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
23944 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
23945 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
23946 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
23947 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
23948 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
23949 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
23950 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
23951 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
23952 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
23955 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
23956 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
23957 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
23958 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
23959 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
23960 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
23961 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
23962 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
23964 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
23965 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
23966 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
23967 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
23968 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
23971 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
23972 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
23973 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
23976 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23977 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23979 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
23980 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
23981 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
23982 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
23983 need several hundred emails in both collections.
23985 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
23986 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
23987 per mail. Use the following:
23989 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
23990 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
23991 is treated as one spam mail.
23994 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
23995 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
23996 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
23999 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
24000 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
24001 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
24002 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
24003 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
24004 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
24006 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
24007 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
24008 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
24009 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
24010 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
24013 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
24014 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
24015 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
24016 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
24019 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
24020 reset the dictionary.
24022 @defun spam-stat-reset
24023 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
24026 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
24027 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
24028 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
24029 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
24030 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
24031 only non-spam mails.
24033 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
24034 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
24035 to update the dictionary incrementally.
24038 @defun spam-stat-save
24039 Save the dictionary.
24042 @defvar spam-stat-file
24043 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
24044 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
24047 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
24048 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
24050 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
24051 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24054 (require 'spam-stat)
24058 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
24061 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
24062 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
24063 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
24064 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
24066 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
24067 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
24068 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
24069 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
24072 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24073 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24077 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
24078 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
24081 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
24082 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
24083 expression are considered potential spam.
24086 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24087 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24088 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24092 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
24093 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
24094 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
24095 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
24096 mails, when creating the dictionary!
24099 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24100 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24101 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24105 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
24106 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
24107 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
24108 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
24109 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
24113 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24114 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
24115 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24116 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24121 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24122 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24124 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
24126 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
24127 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
24128 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24131 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
24132 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
24133 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24136 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
24137 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
24138 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
24139 already been processed as non-spam.
24142 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
24143 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
24144 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
24145 been processed as spam.
24148 @defun spam-stat-save
24149 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
24150 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24153 @defun spam-stat-load
24154 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
24155 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24158 @defun spam-stat-score-word
24159 Return the spam score for a word.
24162 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
24163 Return the spam score for a buffer.
24166 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
24167 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
24168 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24171 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
24172 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24175 (require 'spam-stat)
24179 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
24182 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24183 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24184 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24185 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24186 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24187 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24188 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24189 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24190 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24191 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24192 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24193 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24194 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24195 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24198 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
24201 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24202 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24203 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24204 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
24205 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24206 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24210 @section Interaction with other modes
24215 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provided some useful functions for dired
24216 buffers. It is enabled with
24218 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
24223 @findex gnus-dired-attach
24224 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
24225 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
24228 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
24229 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
24230 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
24234 @findex gnus-dired-print
24235 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
24236 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
24239 @node Various Various
24240 @section Various Various
24246 @item gnus-home-directory
24247 @vindex gnus-home-directory
24248 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
24249 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
24251 @item gnus-directory
24252 @vindex gnus-directory
24253 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
24254 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
24255 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
24257 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
24258 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
24259 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
24260 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
24262 @item gnus-default-directory
24263 @vindex gnus-default-directory
24264 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
24265 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
24266 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
24267 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
24268 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
24269 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
24272 @vindex gnus-verbose
24273 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
24274 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
24275 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
24276 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
24277 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
24279 @item gnus-verbose-backends
24280 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
24281 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
24282 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
24284 @item nnheader-max-head-length
24285 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
24286 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
24287 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
24288 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
24289 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
24290 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
24291 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
24292 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
24293 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
24295 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
24296 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
24297 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
24298 read when doing the operation described above.
24300 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24301 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24303 @cindex invalid characters in file names
24304 @cindex characters in file names
24305 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
24306 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
24307 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
24311 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24316 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
24317 Windows (phooey) systems.
24319 @item gnus-hidden-properties
24320 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
24321 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
24322 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
24323 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
24325 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
24326 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
24327 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
24328 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
24329 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
24331 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
24332 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
24333 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
24335 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
24336 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
24338 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
24339 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
24340 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
24341 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
24344 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
24352 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
24353 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
24355 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
24357 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
24363 Not because of victories @*
24366 but for the common sunshine,@*
24368 the largess of the spring.
24372 but for the day's work done@*
24373 as well as I was able;@*
24374 not for a seat upon the dais@*
24375 but at the common table.@*
24380 @chapter Appendices
24383 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
24384 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
24385 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
24386 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
24387 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
24388 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
24389 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
24390 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
24391 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
24398 @cindex installing under XEmacs
24400 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
24401 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
24402 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
24403 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
24404 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{w3},
24405 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
24412 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
24413 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
24415 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
24416 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
24417 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
24418 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
24419 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
24421 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
24422 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
24423 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
24424 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
24425 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
24426 appropriate name, don't you think?)
24428 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
24429 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
24430 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
24431 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
24434 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
24435 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
24436 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
24437 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
24438 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
24439 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
24440 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
24441 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
24442 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
24446 @node Gnus Versions
24447 @subsection Gnus Versions
24449 @cindex September Gnus
24451 @cindex Quassia Gnus
24452 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
24455 @cindex Gnus versions
24457 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
24458 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
24459 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
24461 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
24462 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
24464 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
24465 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
24467 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
24468 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
24470 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
24471 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
24474 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
24476 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
24477 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
24478 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
24479 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
24480 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
24481 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
24484 @node Other Gnus Versions
24485 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
24488 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
24489 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
24490 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
24491 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
24493 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
24494 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
24495 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
24496 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
24503 What's the point of Gnus?
24505 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
24506 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
24507 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
24508 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
24509 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
24510 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
24511 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
24512 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
24513 keep track of millions of people who post?
24515 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
24516 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
24517 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
24518 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
24519 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
24520 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
24521 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
24522 every one of you to explore and invent.
24524 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
24525 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
24528 @node Compatibility
24529 @subsection Compatibility
24531 @cindex compatibility
24532 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
24533 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
24534 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
24539 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
24543 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
24546 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
24549 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
24550 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
24551 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
24552 important variables have their values copied into their global
24553 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
24554 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
24556 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
24557 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
24558 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
24559 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
24560 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
24564 @cindex highlighting
24565 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
24566 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
24567 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
24568 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
24569 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
24570 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
24573 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
24574 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
24575 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
24576 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
24578 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
24579 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
24580 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
24581 to stop doing it the old way.
24583 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
24585 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24587 @cindex reporting bugs
24589 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
24590 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
24591 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
24593 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
24594 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
24595 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
24596 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
24601 @subsection Conformity
24603 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
24604 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
24612 There are no known breaches of this standard.
24616 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
24618 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
24619 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
24620 We do have some breaches to this one.
24626 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
24627 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
24628 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
24629 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
24630 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
24635 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
24636 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
24637 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
24638 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
24640 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
24641 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
24642 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
24644 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
24645 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
24647 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
24650 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
24651 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
24652 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
24653 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
24654 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
24657 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
24658 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
24659 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
24660 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
24662 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
24663 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
24665 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
24666 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
24667 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
24668 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
24669 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
24670 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
24671 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
24672 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
24676 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
24677 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
24682 @subsection Emacsen
24688 Gnus should work on:
24696 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
24700 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
24701 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
24702 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
24703 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
24704 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
24706 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
24707 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
24708 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
24712 @node Gnus Development
24713 @subsection Gnus Development
24715 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
24716 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
24717 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
24718 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
24719 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
24720 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
24721 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
24722 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
24724 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
24725 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
24726 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
24727 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
24728 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
24731 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
24732 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
24733 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
24734 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
24735 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
24737 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
24738 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
24739 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
24740 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
24741 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
24742 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
24743 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
24744 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
24745 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
24746 can't be assumed to do so.
24751 @subsection Contributors
24752 @cindex contributors
24754 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
24755 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
24756 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
24757 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
24758 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
24759 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
24760 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
24761 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
24762 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
24763 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
24765 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
24771 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
24774 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
24775 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
24776 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
24777 functionality and stuff.
24780 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
24781 well as numerous other things).
24784 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
24787 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
24790 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
24793 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
24796 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
24797 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
24800 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
24803 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
24806 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
24809 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
24812 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
24815 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
24818 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
24819 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
24822 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
24825 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
24828 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
24831 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
24835 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
24838 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
24841 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
24844 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
24845 well as autoconf support.
24849 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
24850 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
24852 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
24867 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
24869 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
24873 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
24883 Alexei V. Barantsev,
24898 Massimo Campostrini,
24903 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
24904 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
24908 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
24911 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
24917 Michael Welsh Duggan,
24922 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
24926 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
24934 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
24936 Michelangelo Grigni,
24940 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
24942 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
24944 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
24951 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
24952 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
24953 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
24955 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
24965 Peter Skov Knudsen,
24966 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
24968 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
24969 Thor Kristoffersen,
24972 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
24990 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
24991 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
24998 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
25003 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
25007 John McClary Prevost,
25013 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
25018 Christian von Roques,
25021 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
25028 Philippe Schnoebelen,
25030 Randal L. Schwartz,
25044 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
25049 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
25069 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
25070 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
25071 (550kB and counting).
25073 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
25076 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
25077 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
25081 @subsection New Features
25082 @cindex new features
25085 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
25086 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
25087 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
25088 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
25089 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
25090 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
25091 * No Gnus:: Lars, FIXME!
25094 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
25095 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
25096 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
25099 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
25101 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
25106 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
25107 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
25110 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
25111 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
25114 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
25117 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
25118 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
25119 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
25122 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
25123 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
25124 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
25125 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25128 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
25129 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25132 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
25133 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
25134 (@pxref{The Active File}).
25137 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
25138 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
25141 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
25142 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
25143 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25146 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
25147 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
25148 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
25151 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
25152 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
25155 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
25156 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
25159 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
25160 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
25163 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
25164 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25167 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
25168 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
25171 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
25172 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25175 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
25178 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
25179 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
25182 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
25183 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
25186 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
25187 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
25190 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
25193 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
25194 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25197 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
25201 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
25205 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
25206 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
25209 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
25215 @node September Gnus
25216 @subsubsection September Gnus
25220 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
25224 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
25229 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
25230 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
25234 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
25235 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
25239 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
25243 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
25244 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
25247 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
25251 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
25254 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
25257 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
25260 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
25264 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
25265 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
25268 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
25272 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
25276 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
25280 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
25284 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
25287 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
25288 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
25291 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
25295 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
25296 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
25299 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
25302 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
25303 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
25304 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25307 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
25311 The Gnus cache is much faster.
25314 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
25318 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
25319 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
25322 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
25323 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
25326 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
25327 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
25330 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
25331 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
25332 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
25335 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
25336 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
25339 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
25342 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
25345 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
25348 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
25351 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
25352 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
25355 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
25359 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
25362 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
25367 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
25370 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
25374 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25377 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
25381 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
25384 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
25387 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
25388 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25391 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
25392 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
25396 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
25397 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
25400 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
25404 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
25405 buffer to allow easier treatment.
25408 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
25411 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
25415 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
25419 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
25420 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
25423 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
25427 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
25428 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
25431 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
25432 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
25435 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
25439 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
25442 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
25445 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
25451 @subsubsection Red Gnus
25453 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
25457 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
25464 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
25467 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
25468 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25471 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
25472 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
25476 Article washing status can be displayed in the
25477 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
25480 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
25483 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
25484 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
25487 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
25491 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
25492 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
25496 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
25497 Server Internals}).
25500 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
25504 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
25507 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
25508 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
25511 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
25512 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
25513 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
25516 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
25517 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
25520 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
25521 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
25524 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
25528 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
25529 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25532 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
25533 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25536 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
25540 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
25543 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
25547 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
25548 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25551 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
25552 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
25555 A new command for reading collections of documents
25556 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
25557 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
25560 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
25564 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
25565 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
25568 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
25569 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
25570 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
25573 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
25574 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
25578 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
25582 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
25586 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
25591 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
25595 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
25599 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
25600 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
25603 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
25609 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
25611 New features in Gnus 5.6:
25616 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
25617 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
25618 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
25621 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
25622 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
25623 group, which is created automatically.
25626 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
25630 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
25633 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
25634 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
25637 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
25641 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
25644 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
25645 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
25648 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
25651 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
25655 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
25656 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
25659 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
25660 control over simplification.
25663 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
25666 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
25670 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
25673 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
25676 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
25677 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
25678 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
25681 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
25682 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
25685 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
25689 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
25690 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
25693 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
25694 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
25697 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
25701 A history of where mails have been split is available.
25704 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
25707 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
25708 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
25711 A new function for citing in Message has been
25712 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
25715 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
25718 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
25722 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
25723 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
25726 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
25727 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
25730 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
25733 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
25737 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
25738 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
25740 New features in Gnus 5.8:
25745 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
25746 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
25748 If you used procmail like in
25751 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
25752 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
25753 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
25754 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
25757 this now has changed to
25761 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
25765 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
25768 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
25769 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
25772 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
25773 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
25776 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
25777 called to position point.
25780 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
25781 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
25784 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
25785 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
25788 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
25789 subtly different manner.
25792 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
25793 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
25794 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
25797 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
25802 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
25805 New features in Gnus 5.10:
25810 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
25811 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
25812 region if the region is active.
25815 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
25819 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
25820 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
25823 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
25824 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
25827 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
25829 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
25830 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
25831 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
25832 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
25833 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
25834 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
25835 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
25836 isn't save in general.
25841 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
25842 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
25843 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
25844 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
25849 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
25850 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
25851 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
25855 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
25858 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
25863 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
25864 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
25866 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
25867 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
25871 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
25872 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
25875 Retrieval of charters and control messages
25877 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
25878 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
25883 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
25884 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
25885 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
25888 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
25889 decompressed when activated.
25892 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
25893 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
25896 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
25899 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
25900 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
25903 Warn about email replies to news
25905 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
25906 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
25910 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
25911 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
25915 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
25916 opposed to old but unread messages).
25919 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
25920 Gcc articles as read.
25923 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
25926 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
25927 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
25930 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
25931 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
25934 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
25935 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
25938 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
25939 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
25942 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
25944 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
25945 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
25946 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
25947 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
25950 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
25952 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
25953 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
25954 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
25955 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
25956 the second parameter.
25958 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
25959 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
25960 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
25961 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
25962 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
25963 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
25964 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
25965 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
25966 cycle used under Unix systems.
25968 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
25972 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
25974 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
25975 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
25976 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
25977 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
25978 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
25982 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
25984 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
25985 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
25986 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
25987 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
25991 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
25993 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
25994 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
25995 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
25996 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
25998 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
25999 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
26000 message cited below.
26003 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
26006 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
26008 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
26009 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
26010 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
26011 variable in @file{~/.emacs} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
26012 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
26015 (setq gnus-parameters
26017 (gnus-show-threads nil)
26018 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
26019 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
26020 (to-group . "\\1"))))
26024 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
26026 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.emacs} to
26030 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
26032 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
26033 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
26034 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
26035 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
26036 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
26037 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
26038 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
26039 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
26040 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
26043 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
26045 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
26046 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
26047 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
26048 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
26049 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
26050 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
26053 References and X-Draft-Headers are no longer generated when you start
26054 composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
26058 Improved anti-spam features.
26060 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
26061 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
26062 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
26063 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
26064 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
26067 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
26070 Face headers handling.
26073 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
26074 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
26077 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
26080 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
26082 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
26083 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
26084 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
26085 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
26086 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
26087 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
26088 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
26089 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
26090 when getting new mail, remove the function.
26093 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
26095 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
26096 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
26097 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
26098 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
26099 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
26100 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
26101 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
26102 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
26103 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
26104 was inserted directly.
26107 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
26109 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
26110 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
26116 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
26117 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
26118 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
26119 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
26120 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
26121 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
26122 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
26123 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
26124 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
26125 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
26126 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
26127 behaviour of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
26128 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
26129 is not needed any more.
26132 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
26134 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
26135 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
26136 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
26137 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
26138 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
26142 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
26144 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
26145 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
26148 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
26150 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
26151 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
26152 lisp directory into load-path.
26154 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
26155 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
26158 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
26160 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
26163 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
26165 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
26166 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
26167 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
26168 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
26171 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
26173 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
26175 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
26176 'bbdb-complete-name)
26180 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
26182 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
26183 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
26184 local files as external parts.
26186 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
26187 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
26188 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
26189 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
26190 that support editing.
26193 @code{gnus-default-charset}
26195 The default value is determined from the
26196 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
26197 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
26198 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
26201 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
26203 Add a new format of match like
26205 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
26206 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26208 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
26210 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
26211 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26215 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
26217 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
26218 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
26219 need add those two headers too.
26222 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
26224 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
26225 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
26226 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
26229 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
26230 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
26231 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
26235 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
26237 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
26240 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
26242 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
26245 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
26247 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
26248 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
26249 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
26252 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
26254 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
26258 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
26260 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
26261 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
26262 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
26263 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
26264 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
26265 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
26266 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
26267 The behaviour can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
26270 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
26272 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
26273 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
26274 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
26275 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
26276 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
26279 Extended format specs.
26281 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
26282 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
26283 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
26284 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
26285 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
26286 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
26289 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
26291 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
26292 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
26293 out other articles.
26295 @item Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
26297 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
26298 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
26299 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
26300 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
26303 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
26305 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
26306 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
26307 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
26310 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
26312 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
26313 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
26314 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
26315 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
26316 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
26317 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
26318 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
26319 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
26320 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
26321 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
26322 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
26325 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
26326 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
26329 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
26330 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
26331 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
26332 message, Message Manual}).
26335 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
26336 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
26338 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
26339 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
26340 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
26342 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
26346 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
26347 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
26349 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
26350 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
26351 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
26352 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
26355 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
26358 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
26361 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
26362 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
26365 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
26367 The behaviour for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
26368 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
26369 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
26370 invalidate the digital signature.
26374 @subsubsection No Gnus
26377 New features in No Gnus:
26378 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
26380 @include gnus-news.texi
26386 @section The Manual
26390 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
26391 either @code{texi2dvi}
26393 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
26394 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
26396 to get what you hold in your hands now.
26398 The following conventions have been used:
26403 This is a @samp{string}
26406 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
26409 This is a @file{file}
26412 This is a @code{symbol}
26416 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
26420 (setq flargnoze "yes")
26423 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
26426 (setq flumphel 'yes)
26429 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
26430 ever get them confused.
26434 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
26435 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
26436 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
26437 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
26438 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
26439 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
26440 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
26446 @node On Writing Manuals
26447 @section On Writing Manuals
26449 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
26450 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
26451 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
26452 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
26453 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
26454 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
26457 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
26458 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
26459 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
26462 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
26463 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
26468 @section Terminology
26470 @cindex terminology
26475 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
26476 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
26477 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
26478 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
26479 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
26483 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
26484 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
26485 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
26486 not posting, and replying is not following up.
26490 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
26494 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
26499 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
26500 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
26501 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
26502 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
26503 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
26504 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
26505 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
26506 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
26507 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
26510 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
26511 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
26512 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
26513 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
26514 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
26515 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
26517 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
26518 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
26519 access the articles.
26521 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
26522 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
26523 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
26528 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
26529 default, way of getting news.
26533 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
26534 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
26539 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
26540 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
26544 A message that has been posted as news.
26547 @cindex mail message
26548 A message that has been mailed.
26552 A mail message or news article
26556 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
26561 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
26566 A line from the head of an article.
26570 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
26571 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
26573 @item @acronym{NOV}
26574 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
26575 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
26576 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
26577 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
26578 normal @sc{head} format.
26582 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
26583 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
26584 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
26585 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
26586 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
26587 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
26589 @item killed groups
26590 @cindex killed groups
26591 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
26592 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
26594 @item zombie groups
26595 @cindex zombie groups
26596 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
26599 @cindex active file
26600 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
26601 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
26602 is rather large, as you might surmise.
26605 @cindex bogus groups
26606 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
26607 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
26608 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
26611 @cindex activating groups
26612 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
26613 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
26614 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
26618 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
26620 @item select method
26621 @cindex select method
26622 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
26625 @item virtual server
26626 @cindex virtual server
26627 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
26628 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
26629 whole is a virtual server.
26633 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
26634 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
26637 @item ephemeral groups
26638 @cindex ephemeral groups
26639 @cindex temporary groups
26640 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
26641 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
26642 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
26645 @cindex solid groups
26646 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
26647 group buffer are solid groups.
26649 @item sparse articles
26650 @cindex sparse articles
26651 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
26652 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
26656 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
26657 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
26661 @cindex thread root
26662 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
26663 articles in the thread.
26667 An article that has responses.
26671 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
26675 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
26676 specified by RFC 1153.
26679 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
26680 @cindex mail sorting
26681 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
26682 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
26683 incorrectly called mail filtering.
26689 @node Customization
26690 @section Customization
26691 @cindex general customization
26693 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
26694 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
26695 for some quite common situations.
26698 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
26699 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
26700 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
26701 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
26705 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
26706 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
26708 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
26709 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
26710 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
26714 @item gnus-read-active-file
26715 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
26716 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
26717 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
26718 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
26719 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
26721 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
26722 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
26723 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
26724 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
26728 @node Slow Terminal Connection
26729 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
26731 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
26732 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
26733 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
26737 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
26738 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
26739 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
26740 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
26741 horizontal and vertical recentering.
26743 @item gnus-visible-headers
26744 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
26745 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
26746 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
26747 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
26749 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
26751 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
26752 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
26753 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
26756 @item gnus-use-full-window
26757 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
26758 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
26759 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
26760 want to read them anyway.
26762 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
26763 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
26767 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
26768 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
26769 lines, which might save some time.
26773 @node Little Disk Space
26774 @subsection Little Disk Space
26777 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
26778 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
26782 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
26783 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
26784 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
26785 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
26788 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
26789 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
26790 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
26791 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
26794 @item gnus-save-killed-list
26795 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
26796 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
26797 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
26798 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
26804 @subsection Slow Machine
26805 @cindex slow machine
26807 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
26808 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
26810 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
26811 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
26813 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
26814 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
26815 summary buffer faster.
26817 Gnus uses the internal ELisp-based @code{uncompface} program for
26818 decoding an @code{X-Face} header normally in Emacs. If you feel it is
26819 slow, set @code{uncompface-use-external} to @code{t}. @xref{X-Face}.
26823 @node Troubleshooting
26824 @section Troubleshooting
26825 @cindex troubleshooting
26827 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
26835 Make sure your computer is switched on.
26838 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
26839 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
26843 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
26844 like @samp{T-gnus 6.17.* (based on Gnus v5.10.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
26845 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old
26846 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
26849 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
26850 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
26853 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
26854 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
26855 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
26856 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
26857 something like that.
26860 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
26863 @cindex reporting bugs
26865 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26867 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
26868 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
26869 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
26870 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
26872 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
26873 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
26874 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
26875 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
26878 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
26879 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
26880 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
26881 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
26882 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
26883 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
26885 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
26886 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
26887 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
26891 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
26892 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
26895 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
26896 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
26897 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
26898 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
26899 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
26900 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
26901 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
26902 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
26903 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
26904 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
26905 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
26906 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
26907 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
26908 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
26913 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
26914 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
26915 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
26916 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
26917 helps isolating the real problem areas).
26919 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
26920 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
26921 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
26922 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
26923 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
26924 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
26925 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
26926 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
26927 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
26928 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
26929 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
26930 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
26931 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
26934 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
26935 @cindex ding mailing list
26936 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
26937 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
26938 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
26939 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
26943 @node Gnus Reference Guide
26944 @section Gnus Reference Guide
26946 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
26947 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
26948 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
26949 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
26952 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
26953 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
26954 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
26955 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
26956 and general methods of operation.
26959 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
26960 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
26961 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
26962 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
26963 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
26964 * Group Info:: The group info format.
26965 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
26966 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
26967 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
26971 @node Gnus Utility Functions
26972 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
26973 @cindex Gnus utility functions
26974 @cindex utility functions
26976 @cindex internal variables
26978 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
26979 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
26980 Below is a list of the most common ones.
26984 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
26985 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
26986 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
26988 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
26989 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
26990 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
26992 @item gnus-group-real-name
26993 @findex gnus-group-real-name
26994 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
26997 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
26998 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
26999 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
27000 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
27002 @item gnus-get-info
27003 @findex gnus-get-info
27004 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
27006 @item gnus-group-unread
27007 @findex gnus-group-unread
27008 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
27012 @findex gnus-active
27013 The active entry for @var{group}.
27015 @item gnus-set-active
27016 @findex gnus-set-active
27017 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
27019 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27020 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27021 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
27024 @item gnus-continuum-version
27025 @findex gnus-continuum-version
27026 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
27027 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
27030 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
27031 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
27032 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
27034 @item gnus-news-group-p
27035 @findex gnus-news-group-p
27036 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
27038 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27039 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27040 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
27042 @item gnus-server-to-method
27043 @findex gnus-server-to-method
27044 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
27046 @item gnus-server-equal
27047 @findex gnus-server-equal
27048 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
27050 @item gnus-group-native-p
27051 @findex gnus-group-native-p
27052 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
27054 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
27055 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
27056 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
27058 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
27059 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
27060 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
27062 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
27063 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
27064 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
27065 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
27067 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
27068 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
27069 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
27071 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
27072 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
27073 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
27075 @item gnus-check-backend-function
27076 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
27077 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
27078 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
27081 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
27085 @item gnus-read-method
27086 @findex gnus-read-method
27087 Prompts the user for a select method.
27092 @node Back End Interface
27093 @subsection Back End Interface
27095 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
27096 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
27097 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
27098 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
27099 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
27100 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
27102 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
27103 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
27104 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
27105 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
27106 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
27107 been opened, the function should fail.
27109 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
27110 name. Take this example:
27114 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
27115 (nntp-port-number 4324))
27118 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
27119 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
27121 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
27122 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
27123 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
27125 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
27126 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
27127 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
27129 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
27130 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
27131 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
27132 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
27133 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
27134 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
27137 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
27138 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
27139 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
27140 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
27143 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
27144 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
27145 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
27146 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
27147 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
27148 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
27149 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
27150 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
27151 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
27152 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
27154 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
27155 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
27156 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
27157 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
27158 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
27159 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
27160 of numbers as long as possible.
27162 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
27163 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
27164 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
27166 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
27169 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
27172 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
27173 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
27174 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
27175 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
27176 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
27177 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
27181 @node Required Back End Functions
27182 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
27186 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
27188 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
27189 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
27190 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
27191 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
27193 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
27194 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
27195 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
27196 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
27198 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
27199 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
27200 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
27201 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
27202 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
27203 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
27204 number, do maximum fetches.
27206 Here's an example HEAD:
27209 221 1056 Article retrieved.
27210 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
27211 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
27212 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
27213 Subject: Re: Something very droll
27214 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
27215 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
27217 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
27218 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
27219 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
27223 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
27224 these in the data buffer.
27226 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
27230 head = error / valid-head
27231 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
27232 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
27233 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
27234 header = <text> eol
27238 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
27240 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
27241 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
27245 nov-buffer = *nov-line
27246 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
27247 field = <text except TAB>
27250 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
27254 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
27256 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
27257 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
27259 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
27260 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
27261 server. In fact, it should do so.
27263 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
27264 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
27267 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
27269 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
27270 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
27273 There should be no data returned.
27276 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
27278 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
27279 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
27280 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
27281 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
27283 There should be no data returned.
27286 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
27288 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
27289 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
27290 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
27291 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
27293 There should be no data returned.
27296 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
27298 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
27300 There should be no data returned.
27303 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
27305 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
27306 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
27307 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
27308 it would be nice if that were possible.
27310 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
27311 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
27312 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
27313 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
27314 into its article buffer.
27316 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
27317 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
27318 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
27319 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
27320 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
27321 on successful article retrieval.
27324 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
27326 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
27327 making @var{group} the current group.
27329 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
27332 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
27335 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
27338 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
27339 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
27340 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
27341 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
27342 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
27343 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
27344 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
27345 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
27346 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
27350 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
27351 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
27352 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
27356 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
27358 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
27359 a no-op on most back ends.
27361 There should be no data returned.
27364 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
27366 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
27369 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
27372 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
27373 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
27376 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
27377 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
27378 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
27379 and the highest as 0.
27382 active-file = *active-line
27383 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
27385 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
27388 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
27389 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
27390 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
27393 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
27395 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
27396 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
27397 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
27398 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
27399 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
27400 clear if the posting could not be completed.
27402 There should be no result data from this function.
27407 @node Optional Back End Functions
27408 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
27412 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
27414 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
27415 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
27416 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
27418 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
27419 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
27420 former is in the same format as the data from
27421 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
27422 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
27425 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
27429 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
27431 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
27432 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
27433 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
27434 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
27435 should return a non-@code{nil} value.
27437 There should be no result data from this function.
27440 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
27442 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
27443 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
27444 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
27445 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
27446 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
27447 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
27448 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
27449 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
27451 There should be no result data from this function.
27454 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
27456 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
27457 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
27458 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
27459 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
27460 propagate the mark information to the server.
27462 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
27465 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
27468 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
27469 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
27470 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
27471 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
27472 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
27473 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
27474 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
27475 possible, not limit itself to these.
27477 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
27478 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
27479 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
27480 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
27482 An example action list:
27485 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
27486 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
27487 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
27490 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
27491 mark on (currently not used for anything).
27493 There should be no result data from this function.
27495 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
27497 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
27498 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
27499 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
27500 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
27501 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
27503 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
27504 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
27505 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
27508 There should be no result data from this function.
27511 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
27513 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
27514 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
27515 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
27516 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
27517 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
27518 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
27519 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
27520 local if that's practical.
27522 There should be no result data from this function.
27525 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
27527 The result data from this function should be a description of
27531 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
27533 description = <text>
27536 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
27538 The result data from this function should be the description of all
27539 groups available on the server.
27542 description-buffer = *description-line
27546 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
27548 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
27549 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
27550 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
27551 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
27552 in the active buffer format.
27554 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
27555 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
27556 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
27557 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
27558 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
27559 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
27560 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
27563 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
27565 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
27567 There should be no return data.
27570 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
27572 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
27573 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
27574 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
27575 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
27576 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
27579 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
27582 There should be no result data returned.
27585 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
27587 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
27588 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
27590 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
27591 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
27592 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
27593 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
27594 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
27595 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
27597 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
27598 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
27601 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
27602 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
27604 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
27605 article for that group.
27607 There should be no data returned.
27610 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
27612 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
27613 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
27614 this function in short order.
27616 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
27617 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
27619 There should be no data returned.
27622 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
27624 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
27625 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
27627 There should be no data returned.
27630 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
27632 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
27633 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
27634 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
27636 There should be no data returned.
27639 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
27641 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
27642 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
27644 There should be no data returned.
27649 @node Error Messaging
27650 @subsubsection Error Messaging
27652 @findex nnheader-report
27653 @findex nnheader-get-report
27654 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
27655 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
27656 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
27657 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
27658 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
27659 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
27662 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
27664 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
27667 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
27668 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
27669 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
27670 takes one argument---the server symbol.
27672 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
27673 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
27674 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
27677 @node Writing New Back Ends
27678 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
27680 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
27681 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
27682 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
27683 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
27684 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
27687 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
27688 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
27689 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
27691 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
27692 package called @code{nnoo}.
27694 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
27695 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
27701 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
27702 parameters. For instance:
27705 (nnoo-declare nndir
27709 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
27710 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
27713 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
27714 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
27715 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
27717 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
27718 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
27719 a function in those back ends.
27722 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
27723 "Where nndir will look for groups."
27724 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
27727 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
27728 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
27729 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
27731 @item nnoo-define-basics
27732 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
27736 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
27740 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
27741 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
27742 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
27744 @item nnoo-map-functions
27745 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
27746 functions from the parent back ends.
27749 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
27750 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27751 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
27754 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
27755 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
27756 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
27757 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
27760 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
27761 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
27762 haven't already been defined.
27768 nnmh-request-newgroups)
27772 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
27773 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
27774 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
27779 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
27782 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
27783 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
27787 (require 'nnheader)
27791 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
27793 (nnoo-declare nndir
27796 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
27797 "Where nndir will look for groups."
27798 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
27800 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
27801 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
27804 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
27806 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
27807 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
27808 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
27810 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
27811 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
27813 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
27815 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
27817 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
27818 (setq nndir-directory
27819 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
27821 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
27822 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
27823 (push `(nndir-current-group
27824 ,(file-name-nondirectory
27825 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
27827 (push `(nndir-top-directory
27828 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
27830 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
27832 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
27833 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27834 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27835 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
27836 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
27840 nnmh-status-message
27842 nnmh-request-newgroups))
27848 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27849 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27851 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
27852 @findex gnus-declare-backend
27853 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
27854 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
27855 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
27857 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
27858 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
27863 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
27866 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
27868 The abilities can be:
27872 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
27874 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
27876 This back end supports both mail and news.
27878 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
27881 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
27882 articles and groups.
27884 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
27885 true for almost all back ends.
27886 @item prompt-address
27887 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
27888 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
27889 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
27893 @node Mail-like Back Ends
27894 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
27896 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
27897 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
27898 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
27899 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
27902 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
27903 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
27904 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
27907 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
27908 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
27911 This function takes four parameters.
27915 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
27918 @item exit-function
27919 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
27921 @item temp-directory
27922 Where the temporary files should be stored.
27925 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
27926 performed for one group only.
27929 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
27930 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
27931 find the article number assigned to this article.
27933 The function also uses the following variables:
27934 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
27935 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
27936 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
27937 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
27941 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
27942 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
27946 @node Score File Syntax
27947 @subsection Score File Syntax
27949 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
27950 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
27951 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
27953 Here's a typical score file:
27957 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
27964 BNF definition of a score file:
27967 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
27968 element = rule / atom
27969 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
27970 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
27971 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
27972 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
27974 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
27975 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
27976 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
27977 date-header = "date"
27978 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27979 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27980 score = "nil" / <integer>
27981 date = "nil" / <natural number>
27982 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
27983 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
27984 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
27985 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
27986 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27987 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27988 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
27989 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27990 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
27991 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
27992 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
27993 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
27994 exclude-files / read-only / touched
27995 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
27996 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
27997 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
27998 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
27999 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
28000 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
28001 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
28002 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
28003 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
28004 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
28005 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
28006 eval = "eval" space <form>
28007 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
28010 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
28013 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
28014 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
28015 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
28016 one looong line, then that's ok.
28018 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
28019 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28023 @subsection Headers
28025 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
28026 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
28027 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
28028 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
28030 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
28031 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
28032 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
28033 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
28034 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
28035 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
28036 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
28038 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
28039 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
28040 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
28041 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
28042 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
28044 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
28045 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
28051 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
28052 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
28054 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
28055 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
28056 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
28057 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
28059 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
28063 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
28066 is transformed into
28069 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
28072 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
28073 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
28076 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
28079 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
28080 is slightly tricky:
28083 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
28089 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
28092 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
28098 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
28105 and is equal to the previous range.
28107 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
28108 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
28109 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
28113 range = simple-range / normal-range
28114 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
28115 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
28116 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
28117 number *[ " " contents ]
28120 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
28121 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
28122 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
28123 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
28124 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
28129 @subsection Group Info
28131 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
28132 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
28133 describes the group.
28135 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
28136 second is a more complex one:
28139 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
28141 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
28142 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
28144 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
28147 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
28148 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
28149 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
28150 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
28151 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
28152 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
28153 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
28154 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
28155 this section is about.
28157 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
28158 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
28159 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
28161 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
28164 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
28165 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
28166 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28167 group = quote <string> quote
28168 ralevel = rank / level
28169 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28170 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
28171 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28173 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
28174 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
28175 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
28176 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
28179 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
28180 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
28183 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
28184 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
28187 @item gnus-info-group
28188 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
28189 @findex gnus-info-group
28190 @findex gnus-info-set-group
28191 Get/set the group name.
28193 @item gnus-info-rank
28194 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
28195 @findex gnus-info-rank
28196 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
28197 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
28199 @item gnus-info-level
28200 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
28201 @findex gnus-info-level
28202 @findex gnus-info-set-level
28203 Get/set the group level.
28205 @item gnus-info-score
28206 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
28207 @findex gnus-info-score
28208 @findex gnus-info-set-score
28209 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
28211 @item gnus-info-read
28212 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
28213 @findex gnus-info-read
28214 @findex gnus-info-set-read
28215 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
28217 @item gnus-info-marks
28218 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
28219 @findex gnus-info-marks
28220 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
28221 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
28223 @item gnus-info-method
28224 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
28225 @findex gnus-info-method
28226 @findex gnus-info-set-method
28227 Get/set the group select method.
28229 @item gnus-info-params
28230 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
28231 @findex gnus-info-params
28232 @findex gnus-info-set-params
28233 Get/set the group parameters.
28236 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
28237 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
28239 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
28240 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
28241 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
28242 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
28245 @node Extended Interactive
28246 @subsection Extended Interactive
28247 @cindex interactive
28248 @findex gnus-interactive
28250 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
28251 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
28252 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
28255 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
28256 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
28261 The best thing to do would have been to implement
28262 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
28263 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
28264 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
28265 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
28266 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
28267 @code{interactive}.
28269 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
28274 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
28275 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
28279 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
28280 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
28281 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
28284 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
28288 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
28292 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
28298 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
28299 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
28303 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
28304 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
28305 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
28307 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
28308 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
28309 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
28310 Gnus, that's very useful.
28312 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
28313 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
28314 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
28315 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
28316 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
28317 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
28318 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
28319 following function:
28322 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
28326 (,function ,@@args))
28330 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
28331 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
28332 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
28335 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
28336 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
28337 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
28339 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
28340 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
28341 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
28344 @node Various File Formats
28345 @subsection Various File Formats
28348 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
28349 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
28353 @node Active File Format
28354 @subsubsection Active File Format
28356 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
28357 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
28360 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
28363 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
28364 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
28365 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
28366 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
28367 no.general 1000 900 y
28370 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
28373 active = *group-line
28374 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
28375 group = <non-white-space string>
28377 high-number = <non-negative integer>
28378 low-number = <positive integer>
28379 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
28382 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
28383 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
28386 @node Newsgroups File Format
28387 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
28389 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
28390 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
28391 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
28394 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
28395 Here's the definition:
28399 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
28400 group = <non-white-space string>
28402 description = <string>
28407 @node Emacs for Heathens
28408 @section Emacs for Heathens
28410 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
28411 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
28412 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
28413 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
28414 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
28415 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
28416 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
28420 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
28421 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
28426 @subsection Keystrokes
28430 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
28433 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
28436 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
28437 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
28438 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
28439 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
28440 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
28441 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
28443 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
28444 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
28445 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
28446 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
28447 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
28448 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
28449 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
28451 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
28452 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
28453 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
28454 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
28455 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
28456 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
28457 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
28459 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
28460 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
28461 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
28462 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
28463 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
28469 @subsection Emacs Lisp
28471 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
28472 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
28473 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
28474 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
28476 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
28477 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
28478 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
28479 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
28480 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
28481 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
28482 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
28485 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
28486 write the following:
28489 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
28492 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
28493 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
28494 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
28497 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
28498 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
28499 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
28500 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
28501 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
28503 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
28504 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
28505 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
28509 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
28513 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
28516 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
28517 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
28520 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
28523 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
28524 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
28527 @include gnus-faq.texi
28547 @c Local Variables:
28549 @c coding: iso-8859-1