4 @settitle T-gnus 6.17 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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294 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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303 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
305 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
308 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
309 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
310 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
311 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
312 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
313 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
314 License'' in the Emacs manual.
316 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
317 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
318 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
320 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
321 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
322 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
323 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
331 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
333 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
334 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
336 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
337 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
338 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
339 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
340 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
341 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
342 License'' in the Emacs manual.
344 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
345 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
346 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
348 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
349 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
350 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
351 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
357 @title T-gnus 6.17 Manual
359 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
362 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
363 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
365 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
367 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
368 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
369 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
370 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
371 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
372 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
373 License'' in the Emacs manual.
375 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
376 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
377 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
379 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
380 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
381 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
382 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
391 @top The gnus Newsreader
395 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using T-gnus. The news
396 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
397 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
400 T-gnus provides @acronym{MIME} features based on @acronym{SEMI} API. So
401 T-gnus supports your right to read strange messages including big images
402 or other various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
403 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
404 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities. Oh,
405 if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
407 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.17.
418 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
419 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
421 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
422 being accused of plagiarism:
424 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
425 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
426 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
427 can even read news with it!
429 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
430 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
431 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
432 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
433 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
439 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
440 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
441 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
442 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
443 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
444 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
445 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
446 * Various:: General purpose settings.
447 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
448 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
449 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
450 * Key Index:: Key Index.
452 Other related manuals
454 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
455 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
456 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
457 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
460 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
464 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
465 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
466 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
467 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
468 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
469 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
470 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
471 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
472 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
473 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
474 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
478 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
479 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
480 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
484 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
485 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
486 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
487 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
488 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
489 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
490 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
491 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
492 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
493 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
494 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
495 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
496 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
497 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
498 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
499 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
500 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
504 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
505 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
506 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
510 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
511 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
512 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
513 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
514 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
518 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
519 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
520 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
521 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
522 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
526 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
527 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
528 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
529 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
530 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
531 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
532 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
533 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
534 * Threading:: How threads are made.
535 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
536 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
537 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
538 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
539 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
540 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
541 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
542 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
543 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
544 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
545 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
546 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
547 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
548 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
549 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
550 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
551 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
552 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
553 or reselecting the current group.
554 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
555 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
556 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
557 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
559 Summary Buffer Format
561 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
562 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
563 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
564 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
568 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
569 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
571 Reply, Followup and Post
573 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
574 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
575 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
576 * Canceling and Superseding::
580 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
581 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
582 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
586 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
587 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
588 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
592 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
593 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
595 Customizing Threading
597 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
598 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
599 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
600 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
604 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
605 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
606 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
607 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
608 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
609 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
613 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
614 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
615 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
619 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
620 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
621 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
622 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
623 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
624 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
625 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
626 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
627 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
628 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
629 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
631 Alternative Approaches
633 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
634 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
636 Various Summary Stuff
638 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
639 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
640 * Summary Generation Commands::
641 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
645 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
646 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
647 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
648 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
649 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
653 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
654 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
655 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
656 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
657 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
658 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
659 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
660 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
664 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
665 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
666 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
667 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
668 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
669 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
670 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
671 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
675 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
676 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
677 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
678 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
679 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
680 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
681 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
685 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
686 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
690 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
691 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
692 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
696 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
697 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
698 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
699 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
700 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
701 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
702 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
703 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
704 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
705 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
706 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
707 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
708 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
712 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
713 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
714 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
716 Choosing a Mail Back End
718 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
719 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
720 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
721 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
722 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
723 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
724 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
729 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
730 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
731 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
732 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
733 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
734 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
738 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
739 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
740 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
741 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
742 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
743 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
747 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
748 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
749 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
750 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
751 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
755 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
759 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
760 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
761 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
765 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
766 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
770 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
771 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
772 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
773 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
774 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
775 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
776 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
777 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
778 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
779 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
780 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
781 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
782 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
786 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
787 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
788 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
792 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
793 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
794 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
798 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
799 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
800 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
801 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
802 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
803 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
804 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
805 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
806 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
807 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
808 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
809 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
810 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
811 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
812 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
813 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
814 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
818 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
819 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
820 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
821 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
825 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
826 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
827 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
831 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
832 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
833 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
834 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
835 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
836 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
837 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
838 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
839 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
840 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
841 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
842 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
843 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
844 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
845 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
846 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
847 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
848 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
849 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
850 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
854 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
855 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
856 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
857 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
858 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
859 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
860 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
861 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
865 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
866 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
867 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
868 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
869 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
873 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
874 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
875 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
876 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
877 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
878 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
880 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
882 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
883 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
884 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
885 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
886 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
888 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
889 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
891 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
893 * ifile spam filtering::
894 * spam-stat spam filtering::
896 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
898 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
900 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
901 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
902 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
906 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
907 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
908 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
909 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
910 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
911 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
912 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
913 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
914 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
918 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
919 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
920 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
921 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
922 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
923 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
924 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
925 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
926 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
930 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
931 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
932 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
933 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
934 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
935 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
939 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
940 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
941 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
942 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
946 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
947 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
948 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
949 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
950 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
951 * Group Info:: The group info format.
952 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
953 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
954 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
958 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
959 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
960 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
961 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
962 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
963 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
967 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
968 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
972 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
973 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
979 @chapter Starting gnus
984 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
985 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
988 @findex gnus-other-frame
989 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
990 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
991 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
993 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
994 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
995 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
997 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
998 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
1001 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
1002 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
1003 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
1004 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
1005 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
1006 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
1007 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
1008 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
1009 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
1010 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
1011 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
1015 @node Finding the News
1016 @section Finding the News
1017 @cindex finding news
1019 @vindex gnus-select-method
1021 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
1022 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1023 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1024 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1027 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1028 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1031 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1034 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1037 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1040 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1041 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1042 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1044 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1046 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1047 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
1048 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1049 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1050 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1051 If that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1052 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1054 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1055 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1056 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1057 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1059 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1060 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1061 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1062 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1063 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
1064 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1065 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1066 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1067 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1070 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1072 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1073 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1074 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1075 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1076 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1077 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1079 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1081 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1082 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1083 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1084 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1085 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1086 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1089 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1090 you would typically set this variable to
1093 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1097 @node The First Time
1098 @section The First Time
1099 @cindex first time usage
1101 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1102 be subscribed by default.
1104 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1105 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1106 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1107 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1110 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1111 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1112 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1114 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1115 help you with most common problems.
1117 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1118 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1122 @node The Server is Down
1123 @section The Server is Down
1124 @cindex server errors
1126 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1127 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1128 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1130 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1131 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1132 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1133 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1134 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1135 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1136 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1138 @findex gnus-no-server
1139 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1141 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1142 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1143 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1144 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1145 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1146 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1147 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1151 @section Slave Gnusae
1154 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1155 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1156 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1157 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1159 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1160 @file{.newsrc} file.
1162 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1163 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1164 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1165 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1166 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1167 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1168 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1171 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1172 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1173 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1174 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1175 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1176 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1177 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1178 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1180 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1181 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1183 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1184 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1185 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1186 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1187 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1189 @node Fetching a Group
1190 @section Fetching a Group
1191 @cindex fetching a group
1193 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1194 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1195 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1196 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1197 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1198 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1204 @cindex subscription
1206 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1207 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1208 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1209 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1210 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1211 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1212 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1213 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1214 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1217 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1218 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1219 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1223 @node Checking New Groups
1224 @subsection Checking New Groups
1226 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1227 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1228 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1229 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1230 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1231 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1232 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1233 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1234 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1235 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1237 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1238 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1239 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1240 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1241 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1242 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1243 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1244 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1245 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1246 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1247 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1249 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1250 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1251 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1252 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1253 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1254 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1257 @node Subscription Methods
1258 @subsection Subscription Methods
1260 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1261 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1262 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1264 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1265 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1267 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1271 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1272 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1273 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1274 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1275 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1277 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1278 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1279 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1280 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1282 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1283 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1284 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1286 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1287 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1288 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1289 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1290 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1291 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1292 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1293 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1294 up. Or something like that.
1296 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1297 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1298 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1299 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1300 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1302 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1303 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1304 Kill all new groups.
1306 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1307 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1308 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1309 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1310 topic parameter that looks like
1316 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1319 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1324 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1325 A closely related variable is
1326 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1327 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1328 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1329 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1332 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1333 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1334 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1335 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1338 @node Filtering New Groups
1339 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1341 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1342 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1343 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1346 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1349 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1350 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1351 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1352 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1353 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1354 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1355 subscribing these groups.
1356 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1357 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1359 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1360 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1361 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1362 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1363 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1364 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1365 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1366 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1368 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1369 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1370 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1371 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1372 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1373 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1374 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1375 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1376 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1377 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1380 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1381 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1384 @node Changing Servers
1385 @section Changing Servers
1386 @cindex changing servers
1388 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1389 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1390 very flaky and you want to use another.
1392 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1393 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1397 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1398 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1399 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1400 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1403 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1404 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1405 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1406 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1408 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1409 @findex gnus-change-server
1410 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1411 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1412 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1413 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1414 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1416 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1417 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1418 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1419 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1420 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1422 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1423 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1424 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1425 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1426 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1427 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1429 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1430 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1431 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1432 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1434 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1435 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1436 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1437 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1438 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1439 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1440 cache for all groups).
1444 @section Startup Files
1445 @cindex startup files
1450 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1451 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1453 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1454 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1455 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1456 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1457 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1458 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1459 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1461 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1462 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1463 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1464 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1465 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1466 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1468 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1469 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1470 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1471 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1472 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1473 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1474 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1475 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1476 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1477 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1479 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1480 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1481 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1482 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1483 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1484 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1485 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1486 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1487 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1488 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1489 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1490 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1492 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1493 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1494 @vindex version-control
1495 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1496 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1497 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1498 If you want version control for this file, set
1499 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1500 @code{version-control} variable.
1502 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1503 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1504 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1505 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1506 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1507 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1508 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1509 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1510 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1511 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1514 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1515 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1517 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1518 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1521 @vindex gnus-init-file
1522 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1523 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1524 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1525 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1526 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1527 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1528 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1529 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1530 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1531 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1537 @cindex dribble file
1540 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1541 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1542 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1543 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1544 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1547 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1548 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1551 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1552 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1553 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1555 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1556 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1557 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1558 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1559 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1560 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1562 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1563 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1564 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1567 @node The Active File
1568 @section The Active File
1570 @cindex ignored groups
1572 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1573 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1574 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1576 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1577 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1578 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1579 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1580 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1581 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1582 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1585 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1586 @c if you set it to anything else.
1588 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1590 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1591 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1592 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1594 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1595 you actually subscribe to.
1597 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1598 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1599 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1600 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1602 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1603 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1604 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1605 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1606 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1607 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1609 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1610 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1611 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1614 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1615 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1616 @acronym{NNTP} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1617 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1618 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1619 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1621 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1622 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1624 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1625 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1627 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1628 secondary select methods.
1631 @node Startup Variables
1632 @section Startup Variables
1636 @item gnus-load-hook
1637 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1638 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1639 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1640 times you start gnus.
1642 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1643 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1644 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1646 @item gnus-startup-hook
1647 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1648 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1650 @item gnus-started-hook
1651 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1652 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1655 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1656 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1657 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1658 generating the group buffer.
1660 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1661 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1662 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1663 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1664 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1665 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1666 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1667 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1669 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1670 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1671 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1672 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1673 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1674 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1676 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1677 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1678 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1680 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1681 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1682 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1684 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1685 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1686 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1687 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1693 @chapter Group Buffer
1694 @cindex group buffer
1696 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1698 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1699 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1700 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1701 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1702 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1703 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1704 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1705 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1706 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1707 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1708 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1709 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1710 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1711 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1712 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1713 @c human rights at 9...
1716 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1717 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1718 long as gnus is active.
1722 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1723 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1724 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1725 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1726 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1727 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1728 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1729 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1735 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1736 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1737 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1738 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1739 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1740 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1741 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1742 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1743 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1744 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1745 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1746 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1747 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1748 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1749 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1750 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1751 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1755 @node Group Buffer Format
1756 @section Group Buffer Format
1759 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1760 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1761 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1765 @node Group Line Specification
1766 @subsection Group Line Specification
1767 @cindex group buffer format
1769 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1770 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1772 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1775 25: news.announce.newusers
1776 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1781 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1782 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1783 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1784 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1786 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1787 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1788 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1789 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1790 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1791 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1793 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1795 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1796 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1797 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1798 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1799 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1801 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1802 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1803 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1805 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1810 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1813 Whether the group is subscribed.
1816 Level of subscribedness.
1819 Number of unread articles.
1822 Number of dormant articles.
1825 Number of ticked articles.
1828 Number of read articles.
1831 Number of unseen articles.
1834 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1835 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1837 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1838 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1839 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1840 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1841 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1842 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1843 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1844 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1847 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1850 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1859 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1860 comment element in the group parameters.
1863 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1864 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1865 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1869 @samp{m} if moderated.
1872 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1878 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1884 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1888 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1891 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1892 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1893 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1894 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1895 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1898 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1900 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1904 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1907 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1911 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1912 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1913 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1914 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1915 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1916 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1921 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1922 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1923 group, or a bogus native group.
1926 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1927 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1928 @cindex group mode line
1930 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1931 The mode line can be changed by setting
1932 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1933 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1937 The native news server.
1939 The native select method.
1943 @node Group Highlighting
1944 @subsection Group Highlighting
1945 @cindex highlighting
1946 @cindex group highlighting
1948 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1949 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1950 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1951 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1952 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1954 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1958 (cond (window-system
1959 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1960 (defface my-group-face-1
1961 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1962 (defface my-group-face-2
1963 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1964 "Second group face")
1965 (defface my-group-face-3
1966 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1967 (defface my-group-face-4
1968 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1969 (defface my-group-face-5
1970 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1972 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1973 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1974 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1975 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1976 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1977 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1980 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1982 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1989 The number of unread articles in the group.
1993 Whether the group is a mail group.
1995 The level of the group.
1997 The score of the group.
1999 The number of ticked articles in the group.
2001 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
2002 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
2004 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
2005 topic being inserted.
2008 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
2009 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
2010 functions for snarfing info on the group.
2012 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
2013 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
2014 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2015 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2016 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2019 @node Group Maneuvering
2020 @section Group Maneuvering
2021 @cindex group movement
2023 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2024 expected, hopefully.
2030 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2031 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2032 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2038 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2039 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2040 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2044 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2045 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2049 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2050 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2054 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2055 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2056 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2060 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2061 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2062 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2065 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2071 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2072 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2073 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2078 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2079 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2080 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2084 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2085 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2086 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2089 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2090 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2091 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2092 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2096 @node Selecting a Group
2097 @section Selecting a Group
2098 @cindex group selection
2103 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2104 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2105 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2106 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2107 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2108 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2109 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2110 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2111 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2112 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2114 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2115 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2116 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2118 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2119 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2124 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2125 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2126 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2127 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2128 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2132 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2133 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2134 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2135 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2136 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2137 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2138 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2139 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2140 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2141 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2144 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2145 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2146 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2147 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2148 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2151 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2152 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2153 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2154 doing any processing of its contents
2155 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2156 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2157 manner will have no permanent effects.
2161 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2162 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2163 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2164 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2165 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2166 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2167 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2168 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2169 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2170 most recently will be fetched.
2172 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2173 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2174 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2177 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2178 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2179 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2180 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2181 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2182 Which article this is is controlled by the
2183 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2189 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2192 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2195 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2197 @item unseen-or-unread
2198 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2199 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2203 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2207 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2208 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2210 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2211 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2212 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2213 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2217 @node Subscription Commands
2218 @section Subscription Commands
2219 @cindex subscription
2227 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2228 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2229 Toggle subscription to the current group
2230 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2236 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2237 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2238 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2239 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2245 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2246 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2247 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2253 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2254 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2257 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2258 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2259 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2260 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2261 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2267 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2268 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2272 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2273 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2276 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2277 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2278 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2279 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2280 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2281 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2282 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2283 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2284 @file{.newsrc} file.
2288 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2298 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2299 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2300 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2301 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2302 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2303 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2308 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2309 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2310 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2314 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2315 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2316 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2318 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2319 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2320 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2321 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2322 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2323 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2330 @section Group Levels
2334 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2335 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2336 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2337 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2338 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2340 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2346 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2347 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2348 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2349 prompted for a level.
2352 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2353 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2354 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2355 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2356 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2357 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2358 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2359 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2360 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2361 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2362 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2363 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2364 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2365 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2366 reasons of efficiency.
2368 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2369 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2371 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2372 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2373 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2374 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2375 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2376 groups are hidden, in a way.
2378 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2379 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2380 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2381 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2382 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2383 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2385 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2386 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2387 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2388 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2389 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2390 list of killed groups.)
2392 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2393 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2394 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2396 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2397 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2398 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2399 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2400 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2401 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2402 relevant valid ranges.
2404 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2405 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2406 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2407 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2408 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2409 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2412 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2413 one with the best level.
2415 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2416 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2417 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2420 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2421 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2422 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2423 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2426 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2427 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2428 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2429 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2431 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2432 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2433 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2434 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2435 to 5. The default is 6.
2439 @section Group Score
2444 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2445 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2446 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2449 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2450 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2451 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2452 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2453 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2454 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2455 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2456 least significant part.))
2458 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2459 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2460 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2461 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2462 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2463 action after each summary exit, you can add
2464 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2465 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2466 slow things down somewhat.
2469 @node Marking Groups
2470 @section Marking Groups
2471 @cindex marking groups
2473 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2474 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2475 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2476 bidding on those groups.
2478 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2479 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2480 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2488 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2489 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2495 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2496 Remove the mark from the current group
2497 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2501 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2502 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2506 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2507 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2511 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2512 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2516 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2517 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2518 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2521 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2523 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2524 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2525 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2526 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2527 the command to be executed.
2530 @node Foreign Groups
2531 @section Foreign Groups
2532 @cindex foreign groups
2534 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2535 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2536 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2537 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2544 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2545 @cindex making groups
2546 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2547 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2548 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2552 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2553 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2554 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2558 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2559 @cindex renaming groups
2560 Rename the current group to something else
2561 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2562 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2568 @findex gnus-group-customize
2569 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2573 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2574 @cindex renaming groups
2575 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2576 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2580 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2581 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2582 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2586 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2587 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2588 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2592 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2594 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2595 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2600 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2601 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2605 @cindex (ding) archive
2606 @cindex archive group
2607 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2608 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2609 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2610 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2611 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2612 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2613 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2617 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2619 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2620 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2621 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2622 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2626 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2628 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2629 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2630 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2634 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2635 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2637 Make a group based on some file or other
2638 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2639 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2640 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2641 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2642 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2643 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2644 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2645 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2646 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2650 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2651 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2652 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2653 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2657 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2661 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2662 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2663 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2664 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2665 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2666 @xref{Web Searches}.
2668 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2669 to a particular group by using a match string like
2670 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2674 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2675 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2676 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2680 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2681 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2682 This function will delete the current group
2683 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2684 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2685 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2686 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2687 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2691 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2692 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2693 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2697 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2698 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2699 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2702 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2705 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2706 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2707 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2708 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2709 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2710 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2714 @node Group Parameters
2715 @section Group Parameters
2716 @cindex group parameters
2718 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2719 Here's an example group parameter list:
2722 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2726 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2727 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2728 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2729 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2731 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2732 is an alist of regexps and values.
2734 The following group parameters can be used:
2739 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2742 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2745 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2746 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2747 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2748 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2749 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2751 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2752 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2753 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2754 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2755 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2756 list address instead.
2758 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2762 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2765 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2768 It is totally ignored
2769 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2770 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2772 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2773 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2774 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2775 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2776 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2778 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2779 @cindex mail list groups
2780 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2781 entering summary buffer.
2783 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2788 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2789 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2790 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2791 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2792 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2793 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2794 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2795 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2798 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2799 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2802 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2803 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2807 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2808 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2809 of whether it has any unread articles.
2811 @item broken-reply-to
2812 @cindex broken-reply-to
2813 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2814 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2815 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2816 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2817 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2818 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2822 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2823 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2827 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2828 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2829 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2834 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2835 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2836 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2837 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2838 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2839 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2840 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2842 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2843 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2844 doesn't accept articles.
2848 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2849 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2850 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2852 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2855 @cindex total-expire
2856 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2857 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2858 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2859 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2862 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2866 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2867 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2868 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2869 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2870 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2871 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2872 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2875 @cindex expiry-target
2876 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2877 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2880 @cindex score file group parameter
2881 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2882 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2883 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2886 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2887 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2888 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2889 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2892 @cindex admin-address
2893 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2894 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2895 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2896 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2900 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2901 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2905 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2908 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2909 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2912 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2916 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2918 Here are some examples:
2922 Display only unread articles.
2925 Display everything except expirable articles.
2927 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2928 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2932 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2933 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2934 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2935 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2936 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2940 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2941 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2942 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2946 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2947 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2948 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2952 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2953 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2954 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2956 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2958 @item ignored-charsets
2959 @cindex ignored-charset
2960 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2961 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2962 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2964 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2967 @cindex posting-style
2968 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2969 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2970 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2971 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2972 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2974 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2975 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2976 like this in the group parameters:
2981 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2982 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2987 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2988 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2992 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2993 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2994 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2995 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2996 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3000 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3001 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3002 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3003 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3005 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3006 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3007 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3008 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3011 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
3012 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
3016 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3017 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3019 @item (agent parameters)
3020 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3021 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3022 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3023 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3024 minimize the configuration effort.
3026 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3027 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3028 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3029 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3030 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3031 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3032 @code{eval}ed there.
3034 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3035 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3036 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3037 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3038 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3039 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3040 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3041 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3044 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3047 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3048 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3049 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3052 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3055 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3056 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3057 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3058 into the group parameters for the group.
3060 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
3061 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
3062 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
3063 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
3064 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
3068 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3069 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3070 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3071 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3072 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3074 @vindex gnus-parameters
3075 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3076 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3080 (setq gnus-parameters
3082 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3083 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3084 (gnus-summary-line-format
3085 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3089 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3093 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3097 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3100 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3101 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3104 @node Listing Groups
3105 @section Listing Groups
3106 @cindex group listing
3108 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3116 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3117 List all groups that have unread articles
3118 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3119 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3120 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3121 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3128 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3129 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3130 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3131 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3132 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3133 unsubscribed groups).
3137 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3138 List all unread groups on a specific level
3139 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3140 with no unread articles.
3144 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3145 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3146 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3147 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3152 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3153 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3157 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3158 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3159 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3163 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3164 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3168 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3169 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3170 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3171 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3172 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3173 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3174 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3175 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3179 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3180 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3181 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3185 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3186 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3187 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3191 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3192 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3196 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3197 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3201 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3202 List groups limited within the current selection
3203 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3207 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3208 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3212 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3213 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3217 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3218 @cindex visible group parameter
3219 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3220 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3221 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3222 get the same effect.
3224 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3225 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3226 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3227 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3228 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3231 @node Sorting Groups
3232 @section Sorting Groups
3233 @cindex sorting groups
3235 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3236 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3237 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3238 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3239 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3240 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3245 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3246 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3247 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3249 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3250 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3251 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3253 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3254 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3255 Sort by group level.
3257 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3258 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3259 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3261 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3262 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3263 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3264 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3266 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3267 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3268 Sort by number of unread articles.
3270 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3271 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3272 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3274 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3275 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3276 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3281 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3282 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3286 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3287 some sorting criteria:
3291 @kindex G S a (Group)
3292 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3293 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3294 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3297 @kindex G S u (Group)
3298 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3299 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3300 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3303 @kindex G S l (Group)
3304 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3305 Sort the group buffer by group level
3306 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3309 @kindex G S v (Group)
3310 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3311 Sort the group buffer by group score
3312 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3315 @kindex G S r (Group)
3316 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3317 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3318 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3321 @kindex G S m (Group)
3322 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3323 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3324 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3327 @kindex G S n (Group)
3328 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3329 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3330 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3334 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3335 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3337 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3338 commands will sort in reverse order.
3340 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3344 @kindex G P a (Group)
3345 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3346 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3347 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3350 @kindex G P u (Group)
3351 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3352 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3353 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3356 @kindex G P l (Group)
3357 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3358 Sort the groups by group level
3359 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3362 @kindex G P v (Group)
3363 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3364 Sort the groups by group score
3365 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3368 @kindex G P r (Group)
3369 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3370 Sort the groups by group rank
3371 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3374 @kindex G P m (Group)
3375 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3376 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3377 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3380 @kindex G P n (Group)
3381 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3382 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3383 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3386 @kindex G P s (Group)
3387 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3388 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3392 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3396 @node Group Maintenance
3397 @section Group Maintenance
3398 @cindex bogus groups
3403 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3404 Find bogus groups and delete them
3405 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3409 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3410 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3411 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3412 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3413 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3417 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3418 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3419 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3420 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3421 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3422 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3425 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3426 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3427 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3428 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3433 @node Browse Foreign Server
3434 @section Browse Foreign Server
3435 @cindex foreign servers
3436 @cindex browsing servers
3441 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3442 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3443 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3444 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3447 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3448 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3449 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3450 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3452 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3457 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3458 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3462 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3463 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3466 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3467 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3468 Enter the current group and display the first article
3469 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3472 @kindex RET (Browse)
3473 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3474 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3478 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3479 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3480 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3486 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3487 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3491 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3492 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3496 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3497 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3498 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3503 @section Exiting gnus
3504 @cindex exiting gnus
3506 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3511 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3512 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3513 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3514 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3518 @findex gnus-group-exit
3519 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3520 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3524 @findex gnus-group-quit
3525 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3526 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3529 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3530 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3531 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3532 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3533 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3534 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3540 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3541 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3542 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3548 @section Group Topics
3551 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3552 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3553 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3554 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3555 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3556 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3560 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3561 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3572 2: alt.religion.emacs
3575 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3577 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3578 13: comp.sources.unix
3581 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3583 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3584 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3585 is a toggling command.)
3587 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3588 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3589 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3590 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3593 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3594 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3595 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3598 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3602 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3603 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3604 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3605 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3606 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3610 @node Topic Commands
3611 @subsection Topic Commands
3612 @cindex topic commands
3614 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3615 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3616 definitions slightly.
3618 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3619 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3620 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3621 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3622 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3623 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3625 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3632 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3633 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3634 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3638 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3640 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3641 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3642 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3643 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3646 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3647 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3648 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3649 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3653 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3654 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3655 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3656 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3662 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3663 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3664 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3668 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3669 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3670 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3673 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3674 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3675 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3676 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3677 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3679 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3680 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3684 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3685 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3692 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3694 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3695 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3696 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3697 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3698 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3699 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3703 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3709 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3710 Move the current group to some other topic
3711 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3712 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3716 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3717 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3721 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3722 Copy the current group to some other topic
3723 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3724 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3728 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3729 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3730 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3734 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3735 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3736 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3740 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3741 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3742 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3743 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3744 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3745 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3746 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3749 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3750 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3754 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3755 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3756 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3760 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3761 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3762 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3766 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3767 Toggle hiding empty topics
3768 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3772 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3773 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3774 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3775 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3778 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3779 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3780 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3781 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3782 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3785 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3786 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3787 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3788 expiry process (if any)
3789 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3793 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3794 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3797 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3798 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3799 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3803 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3804 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3805 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3808 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3809 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3810 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3813 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3814 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3815 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3819 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3820 @cindex group parameters
3821 @cindex topic parameters
3823 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3824 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3829 @node Topic Variables
3830 @subsection Topic Variables
3831 @cindex topic variables
3833 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3834 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3836 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3837 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3838 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3851 Number of groups in the topic.
3853 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3855 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3858 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3859 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3860 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3863 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3864 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3866 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3867 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3868 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3872 @subsection Topic Sorting
3873 @cindex topic sorting
3875 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3881 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3882 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3883 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3884 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3887 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3888 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3889 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3890 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3893 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3894 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3895 Sort the current topic by group level
3896 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3899 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3900 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3901 Sort the current topic by group score
3902 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3905 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3906 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3907 Sort the current topic by group rank
3908 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3911 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3912 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3913 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3914 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3917 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3918 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3919 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3920 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3923 @kindex T S s (Topic)
3924 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3925 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3926 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3927 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3931 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3932 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3936 @node Topic Topology
3937 @subsection Topic Topology
3938 @cindex topic topology
3941 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3948 2: alt.religion.emacs
3951 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3953 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3954 13: comp.sources.unix
3958 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3959 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3960 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3965 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3966 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3970 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3971 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3972 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3973 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3974 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3975 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3977 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3978 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3979 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3982 @node Topic Parameters
3983 @subsection Topic Parameters
3984 @cindex topic parameters
3986 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
3987 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
3988 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
3989 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
3990 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
3992 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3997 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3998 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3999 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4002 @item subscribe-level
4003 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4004 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4005 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4009 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4010 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4011 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4012 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4019 2: alt.religion.emacs
4023 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4025 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4026 13: comp.sources.unix
4031 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4032 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4033 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4034 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4035 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4036 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4038 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4039 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4040 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4041 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4042 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4044 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4045 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4046 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4047 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4048 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4049 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4050 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4051 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4054 @node Misc Group Stuff
4055 @section Misc Group Stuff
4058 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4059 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4060 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4061 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4062 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4069 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4070 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4071 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4075 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4076 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4077 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4078 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4079 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4080 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4081 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4085 @findex gnus-group-mail
4086 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4087 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4088 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4089 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4093 @findex gnus-group-news
4094 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4095 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4096 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4098 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4099 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4100 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4101 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4102 for this to work though.
4106 Variables for the group buffer:
4110 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4111 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4112 is called after the group buffer has been
4115 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4116 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4117 is called after the group buffer is
4118 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4121 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4122 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4123 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4124 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4126 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4127 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4128 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4129 whether they are empty or not.
4131 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4132 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4133 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4134 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4138 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4139 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4142 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4143 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4144 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4145 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4146 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4147 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4148 default is @code{nil}.
4152 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4153 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4158 @node Scanning New Messages
4159 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4160 @cindex new messages
4161 @cindex scanning new news
4167 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4168 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4169 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4170 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4171 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4172 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4177 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4178 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4179 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4180 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4181 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4182 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4183 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4185 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4186 @cindex activating groups
4188 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4189 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4194 @findex gnus-group-restart
4195 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4196 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4197 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
4201 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4202 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4204 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4205 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4209 @node Group Information
4210 @subsection Group Information
4211 @cindex group information
4212 @cindex information on groups
4219 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4220 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4223 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4224 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4225 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4226 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4227 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4228 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4229 used for fetching the file.
4231 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
4232 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4236 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4237 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4239 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4240 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4243 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4244 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4245 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4249 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4250 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4251 @cindex control message
4252 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4253 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4254 group if given a prefix argument.
4256 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4257 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4258 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4259 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4261 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4262 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4263 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4267 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4269 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4270 @cindex describing groups
4271 @cindex group description
4272 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4273 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4274 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4278 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4279 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4280 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4287 @findex gnus-version
4288 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4292 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4293 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4296 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4299 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4300 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4304 @node Group Timestamp
4305 @subsection Group Timestamp
4307 @cindex group timestamps
4309 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
4310 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4311 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4314 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4317 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4319 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4320 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4323 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4324 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4327 This will result in lines looking like:
4330 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4331 0: custom 19961002T012713
4334 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4335 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4339 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4340 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4343 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4344 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4348 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4349 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4350 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4351 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4353 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4359 @subsection File Commands
4360 @cindex file commands
4366 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4367 @vindex gnus-init-file
4368 @cindex reading init file
4369 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4370 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4374 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4375 @cindex saving .newsrc
4376 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4377 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4378 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4381 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4382 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4383 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4388 @node Sieve Commands
4389 @subsection Sieve Commands
4390 @cindex group sieve commands
4392 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4393 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4394 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4395 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4396 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4398 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4399 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4400 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4401 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4402 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4403 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4404 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4405 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4406 regenerate the Sieve script.
4408 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4409 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4410 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4411 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4412 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4413 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4414 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4415 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4416 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4417 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4420 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4421 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4426 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4432 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4433 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4434 @cindex generating sieve script
4435 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4436 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4440 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4441 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4442 @cindex updating sieve script
4443 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4444 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4445 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4450 @node Summary Buffer
4451 @chapter Summary Buffer
4452 @cindex summary buffer
4454 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4455 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4457 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4458 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4460 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4463 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4464 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4465 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4466 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4467 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4468 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4469 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4470 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4471 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4472 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4473 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4474 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4475 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4476 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4477 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4478 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4479 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4480 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4481 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4482 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4483 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4484 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4485 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4486 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4487 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4488 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4489 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4490 or reselecting the current group.
4491 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4492 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4493 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4494 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4498 @node Summary Buffer Format
4499 @section Summary Buffer Format
4500 @cindex summary buffer format
4504 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4505 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4506 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4512 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4513 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4514 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4515 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4518 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4519 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4520 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4521 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4522 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4523 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
4524 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4525 fast, and too simplistic solution;
4526 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
4527 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
4528 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
4529 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
4530 other function instead:
4533 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4534 'mail-extract-address-components)
4537 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4538 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4539 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4540 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4543 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4544 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4546 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4547 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4548 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4549 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4550 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4552 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4553 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4554 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4555 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4556 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4557 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4559 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4561 The following format specification characters and extended format
4562 specification(s) are understood:
4568 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4569 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4571 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4572 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4573 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4575 Full @code{From} header.
4577 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4579 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4582 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4583 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4584 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4585 may be more thorough.
4587 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4590 Number of lines in the article.
4592 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4593 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4595 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4596 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4598 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4600 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4601 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4614 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4615 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4616 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4617 line-drawing glyphs.
4619 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4620 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4621 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4622 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4624 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4625 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4626 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4627 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4629 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4630 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4631 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4632 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4634 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4635 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4636 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4638 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4639 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4640 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4642 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4643 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4644 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4646 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4647 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4648 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4653 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4654 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4656 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4657 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4659 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4660 for adopted articles.
4662 One space for each thread level.
4664 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4666 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4669 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4670 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4671 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4674 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4676 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4677 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4678 default level. If the difference between
4679 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4680 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4688 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4690 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4696 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4697 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4699 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4700 article has any children.
4706 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4707 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4709 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4710 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4711 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4712 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4713 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4714 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4717 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4718 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4719 There can only be one such area.
4721 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4722 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4723 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4724 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4725 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4726 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4728 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4729 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4731 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4734 @node To From Newsgroups
4735 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4739 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4740 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4741 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4742 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4743 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4747 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4748 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4749 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4753 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4754 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4757 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4758 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4761 @findex gnus-extra-header
4762 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4763 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4764 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4767 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4771 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4772 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4773 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4774 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4775 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4776 headers are used instead.
4780 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4781 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4782 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4783 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4784 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4785 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4788 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4789 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4790 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4791 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4793 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4797 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4799 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4800 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4801 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4802 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4806 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4809 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4810 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4813 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4814 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4815 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4821 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4822 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4825 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4826 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4828 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4829 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4830 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4831 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4833 Here are the elements you can play with:
4839 Unprefixed group name.
4841 Current article number.
4843 Current article score.
4847 Number of unread articles in this group.
4849 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4852 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4853 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4854 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4855 and no unselected ones.
4857 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4858 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4860 Subject of the current article.
4862 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4864 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4866 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4868 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4870 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4872 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4876 @node Summary Highlighting
4877 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4881 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4882 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4883 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4884 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4885 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4887 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4888 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4889 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4890 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4892 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4893 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4894 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4895 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4897 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4898 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4899 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4900 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4901 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4902 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4905 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4906 ((> score default) . bold))
4908 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4909 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4913 @node Summary Maneuvering
4914 @section Summary Maneuvering
4915 @cindex summary movement
4917 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4918 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4920 None of these commands select articles.
4925 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4926 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4927 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4928 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4929 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4933 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4934 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4935 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4936 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4937 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4940 @kindex G g (Summary)
4941 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4942 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4943 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4946 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4947 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4948 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4949 to the group buffer.
4951 Variables related to summary movement:
4955 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4956 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4957 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4958 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4959 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4960 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4961 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4962 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4963 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4964 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4965 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4966 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4967 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4968 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4970 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4971 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4972 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4973 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4974 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4975 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4976 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4978 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4980 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4981 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4982 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4983 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4984 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4986 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4987 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4988 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4989 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4990 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4991 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4992 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4993 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4996 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4997 the given number of lines from the top.
5002 @node Choosing Articles
5003 @section Choosing Articles
5004 @cindex selecting articles
5007 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5008 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5012 @node Choosing Commands
5013 @subsection Choosing Commands
5015 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5016 and they all select and display an article.
5018 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5019 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5023 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5024 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5025 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5026 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5028 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5029 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5030 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5035 @kindex G n (Summary)
5036 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5037 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5038 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5043 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5044 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5045 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5050 @kindex G N (Summary)
5051 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5052 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5057 @kindex G P (Summary)
5058 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5059 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5062 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5063 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5064 Go to the next article with the same subject
5065 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5068 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5069 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5070 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5071 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5075 @kindex G f (Summary)
5077 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5078 Go to the first unread article
5079 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5083 @kindex G b (Summary)
5085 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5086 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5087 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5088 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5093 @kindex G l (Summary)
5094 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5095 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5098 @kindex G o (Summary)
5099 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5101 @cindex article history
5102 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5103 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5104 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5105 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5106 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5107 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5112 @kindex G j (Summary)
5113 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5114 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5115 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5120 @node Choosing Variables
5121 @subsection Choosing Variables
5123 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5126 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5127 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5128 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5129 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5130 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5131 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5133 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5134 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5135 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5136 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5137 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5138 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5140 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5141 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5142 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5143 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5144 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5145 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5146 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5147 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5148 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5149 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5150 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5151 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5152 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5153 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5158 @node Paging the Article
5159 @section Scrolling the Article
5160 @cindex article scrolling
5165 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5166 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5167 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5168 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5169 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5171 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5172 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5173 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5174 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5175 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5176 what is considered uninteresting with
5177 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5178 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5181 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5182 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5183 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5186 @kindex RET (Summary)
5187 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5188 Scroll the current article one line forward
5189 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5192 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5193 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5194 Scroll the current article one line backward
5195 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5199 @kindex A g (Summary)
5201 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5202 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5203 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5204 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5205 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5206 the way it came from the server.
5208 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5209 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5210 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5213 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5218 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5223 @kindex A < (Summary)
5224 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5225 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5226 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5231 @kindex A > (Summary)
5232 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5233 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5237 @kindex A s (Summary)
5239 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5240 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5241 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5245 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5246 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5251 @node Reply Followup and Post
5252 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5255 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5256 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5257 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5258 * Canceling and Superseding::
5262 @node Summary Mail Commands
5263 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5265 @cindex composing mail
5267 Commands for composing a mail message:
5273 @kindex S r (Summary)
5275 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5276 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5277 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5278 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5279 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5284 @kindex S R (Summary)
5285 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5286 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5287 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5288 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5289 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5292 @kindex S w (Summary)
5293 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5294 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5295 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5296 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5297 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5298 present, that's used instead.
5301 @kindex S W (Summary)
5302 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5303 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5304 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5305 the process/prefix convention.
5308 @kindex S v (Summary)
5309 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5310 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5311 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5312 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5313 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5314 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5317 @kindex S V (Summary)
5318 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5319 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5320 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5321 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5324 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5325 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5326 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5327 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5328 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5329 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5330 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5331 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5334 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5335 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5336 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5337 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5338 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5342 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5343 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5344 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5345 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5346 Forward the current article to some other person
5347 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5348 headers of the forwarded article.
5353 @kindex S m (Summary)
5354 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5355 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5356 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5357 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5358 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5363 @kindex S i (Summary)
5364 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5365 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5366 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5367 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5369 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5370 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5371 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5372 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5373 for this to work though.
5376 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5377 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5378 @cindex bouncing mail
5379 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5380 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5381 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5382 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5383 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5384 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
5385 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5386 very well fail, though.
5389 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5390 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5391 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5392 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5393 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5394 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5395 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5396 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5397 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5398 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5400 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5401 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5402 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5403 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5404 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5406 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5407 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5410 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5411 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
5412 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5413 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
5414 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5417 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5418 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5419 @cindex crossposting
5420 @cindex excessive crossposting
5421 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5422 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5424 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5425 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5426 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5427 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5428 command understands the process/prefix convention
5429 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5433 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5434 Manual}, for more information.
5437 @node Summary Post Commands
5438 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5440 @cindex composing news
5442 Commands for posting a news article:
5448 @kindex S p (Summary)
5449 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5450 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5451 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5452 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5453 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5458 @kindex S f (Summary)
5459 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5460 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5461 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5465 @kindex S F (Summary)
5467 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5468 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5469 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5470 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5471 process/prefix convention.
5474 @kindex S n (Summary)
5475 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5476 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5477 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5480 @kindex S N (Summary)
5481 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5482 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5483 message through mail and include the original message
5484 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5485 the process/prefix convention.
5488 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5489 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5490 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5491 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5492 headers of the forwarded article.
5495 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5496 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
5498 @cindex making digests
5499 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5500 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5501 process/prefix convention.
5504 @kindex S u (Summary)
5505 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5506 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5507 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5508 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5511 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5512 Manual}, for more information.
5515 @node Summary Message Commands
5516 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5520 @kindex S y (Summary)
5521 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5522 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5523 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5524 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5525 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5530 @node Canceling and Superseding
5531 @subsection Canceling Articles
5532 @cindex canceling articles
5533 @cindex superseding articles
5535 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5536 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5538 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5540 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5542 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5543 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5544 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5545 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5546 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5547 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5549 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5550 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5553 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5554 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5555 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5557 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5558 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5559 message, Message Manual}).
5561 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5562 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5563 your original article.
5565 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5567 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5568 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5569 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5572 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5573 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5574 have posted almost the same article twice.
5576 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5577 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5578 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5579 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5580 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5581 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5582 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5583 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5584 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5585 canceled/superseded.
5587 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5589 @node Delayed Articles
5590 @section Delayed Articles
5591 @cindex delayed sending
5592 @cindex send delayed
5594 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5595 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5596 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5597 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5600 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5603 @findex gnus-delay-article
5604 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5605 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5606 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5607 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5611 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5612 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5613 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5614 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5617 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5618 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5619 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5622 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5623 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5624 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5625 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5626 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5627 that means a time tomorrow.
5630 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5631 couple of variables:
5634 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5635 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5636 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5637 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5639 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5640 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5641 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5642 formats described above.
5644 @item gnus-delay-group
5645 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5646 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5647 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5648 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5650 @item gnus-delay-header
5651 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5652 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5653 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5654 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5657 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5658 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5659 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5660 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5661 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5663 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5664 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5665 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5666 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5667 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5668 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5669 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5672 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5673 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5675 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5676 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5677 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5678 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5679 argument is ignored.
5681 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5682 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5683 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5687 @node Marking Articles
5688 @section Marking Articles
5689 @cindex article marking
5690 @cindex article ticking
5693 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5695 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5696 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5697 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5699 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5702 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5703 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5704 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5708 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5712 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5713 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5714 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5718 @node Unread Articles
5719 @subsection Unread Articles
5721 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5726 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5727 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5729 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5730 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5731 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5732 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5733 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5734 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5735 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5738 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5739 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5741 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5742 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5743 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5744 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5748 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5749 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5751 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5756 @subsection Read Articles
5757 @cindex expirable mark
5759 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5764 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5765 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5766 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5769 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5770 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5773 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5774 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5775 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5778 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5779 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5782 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5783 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5786 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5787 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5790 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5791 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5794 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5795 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5798 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5799 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5802 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5803 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5807 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5808 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5809 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5813 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5814 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5816 One more special mark, though:
5820 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5821 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5823 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5824 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5825 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5826 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5832 @subsection Other Marks
5833 @cindex process mark
5836 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5842 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5843 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5844 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5845 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5846 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5849 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5850 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5851 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5852 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5855 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5856 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5857 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5860 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5861 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5862 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5865 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5866 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5867 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5868 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5871 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5872 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5873 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5874 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5875 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5876 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5879 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5880 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5881 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5882 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5885 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5886 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5887 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5888 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5889 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5893 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5894 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5895 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5896 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5897 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5898 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5901 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5902 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5903 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5904 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5905 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5906 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5910 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5911 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5912 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5913 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5914 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5917 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5918 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5919 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5920 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5921 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5922 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5926 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5927 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5928 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5930 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5931 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5932 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5936 @subsection Setting Marks
5937 @cindex setting marks
5939 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5944 @kindex M c (Summary)
5945 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5946 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5947 @cindex mark as unread
5948 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5949 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5955 @kindex M t (Summary)
5956 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5957 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5958 @xref{Article Caching}.
5963 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5964 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5965 Mark the current article as dormant
5966 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5970 @kindex M d (Summary)
5972 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5973 Mark the current article as read
5974 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5978 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5979 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5980 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5985 @kindex M k (Summary)
5986 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5987 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5988 and then select the next unread article
5989 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5993 @kindex M K (Summary)
5994 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5995 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5996 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5997 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6000 @kindex M C (Summary)
6001 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6002 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6003 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6006 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6007 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6008 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6009 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6012 @kindex M H (Summary)
6013 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6014 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6015 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6018 @kindex M h (Summary)
6019 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6020 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6021 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6024 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6025 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6026 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6027 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6030 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6031 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6032 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6033 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6037 @kindex M e (Summary)
6039 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6040 Mark the current article as expirable
6041 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6044 @kindex M b (Summary)
6045 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6046 Set a bookmark in the current article
6047 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6050 @kindex M B (Summary)
6051 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6052 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6053 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6056 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6057 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6058 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6059 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6062 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6063 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6064 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6065 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6068 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6069 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6070 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6071 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6072 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6075 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6076 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6077 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6078 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6079 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6080 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6081 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6082 The default is @code{t}.
6085 @node Generic Marking Commands
6086 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6088 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6089 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6090 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6091 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6092 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6095 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6096 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6099 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6100 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6101 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6102 to list in this manual.
6104 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6105 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6106 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6107 article, you could say something like:
6111 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6112 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6113 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6121 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6122 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6126 @node Setting Process Marks
6127 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6128 @cindex setting process marks
6130 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6131 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6132 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6133 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6134 commands into the cache. For more information,
6135 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6142 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6143 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6144 Mark the current article with the process mark
6145 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6146 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6150 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6151 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6152 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6153 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6156 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6157 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6158 Remove the process mark from all articles
6159 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6162 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6163 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6164 Invert the list of process marked articles
6165 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6168 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6169 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6170 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6171 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6174 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6175 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6176 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6177 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6180 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6181 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6182 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6185 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6186 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6187 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6190 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6191 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6192 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6193 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6196 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6197 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6198 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6199 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6202 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6203 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6204 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6205 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6208 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6209 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6210 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6213 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6214 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6215 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6216 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6219 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6220 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6221 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6224 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6225 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6226 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6227 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6230 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6231 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6232 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6233 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6236 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6237 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6238 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6239 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6242 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6243 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6244 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6245 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6249 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6250 set process marks based on article body contents.
6257 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6258 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6259 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6262 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6263 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6264 additional articles.
6270 @kindex / / (Summary)
6271 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6272 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6273 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6277 @kindex / a (Summary)
6278 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6279 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6280 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6284 @kindex / x (Summary)
6285 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6286 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6287 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6288 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6293 @kindex / u (Summary)
6295 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6296 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6297 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6298 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6299 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6302 @kindex / m (Summary)
6303 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6304 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6305 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6308 @kindex / t (Summary)
6309 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6310 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6311 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6312 articles younger than that number of days.
6315 @kindex / n (Summary)
6316 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6317 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6318 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6319 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6322 @kindex / w (Summary)
6323 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6324 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6325 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6329 @kindex / . (Summary)
6330 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6331 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6332 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6335 @kindex / v (Summary)
6336 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6337 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6338 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6341 @kindex / p (Summary)
6342 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6343 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6344 group parameter predicate
6345 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6346 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6350 @kindex M S (Summary)
6351 @kindex / E (Summary)
6352 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6353 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6354 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6357 @kindex / D (Summary)
6358 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6359 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6360 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6363 @kindex / * (Summary)
6364 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6365 Include all cached articles in the limit
6366 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6369 @kindex / d (Summary)
6370 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6371 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6372 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6375 @kindex / M (Summary)
6376 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6377 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6380 @kindex / T (Summary)
6381 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6382 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6385 @kindex / c (Summary)
6386 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6387 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6388 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6391 @kindex / C (Summary)
6392 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6393 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6394 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6395 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6398 @kindex / N (Summary)
6399 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6400 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6401 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6404 @kindex / o (Summary)
6405 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6406 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6407 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6415 @cindex article threading
6417 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6418 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6419 hierarchical fashion.
6421 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6422 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6423 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6424 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6425 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6426 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6427 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6429 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6433 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6436 A tree-like article structure.
6439 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6442 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6443 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6444 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6445 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6446 called loose threads.
6448 @item thread gathering
6449 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6451 @item sparse threads
6452 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6453 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6459 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6460 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6464 @node Customizing Threading
6465 @subsection Customizing Threading
6466 @cindex customizing threading
6469 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6470 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6471 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6472 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6477 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6480 @cindex loose threads
6483 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6484 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6485 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6486 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6487 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6488 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6490 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
6491 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
6492 There are four possible values:
6496 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6497 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6498 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6499 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6500 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6505 @cindex adopting articles
6510 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6511 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6512 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6513 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6516 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6517 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6518 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6519 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6520 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6521 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6522 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6523 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6524 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6525 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6528 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6529 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6530 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6534 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6535 display them after one another.
6538 Don't gather loose threads.
6541 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6542 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6543 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6544 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
6545 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6546 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6547 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6548 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6549 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6550 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
6551 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6553 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6554 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
6555 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6558 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6559 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6560 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6561 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6562 simplification is used.
6564 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6565 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6566 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6567 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6569 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6571 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6577 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6578 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6579 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6580 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6585 (mapconcat 'identity
6586 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6588 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6591 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6594 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6595 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6596 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6597 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6598 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6599 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6601 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6604 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6605 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6606 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6608 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6609 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6612 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6613 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6614 Remove excessive whitespace.
6616 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6617 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6618 Remove all whitespace.
6621 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6624 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6625 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6626 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6627 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6628 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6629 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6630 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6631 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6633 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6634 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6635 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6636 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6637 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6638 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6639 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6640 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6641 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6645 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6646 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6647 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6648 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6650 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6651 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6652 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6655 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6659 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6660 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6666 @node Filling In Threads
6667 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6670 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6671 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6672 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6673 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6674 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6675 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6676 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6677 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6678 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6679 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6680 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6681 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
6684 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6685 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6686 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6688 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6689 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6690 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6693 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6694 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6695 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6696 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6697 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6698 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6699 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
6700 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6701 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
6702 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
6703 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6704 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
6705 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6706 @code{nil} by default.
6708 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6709 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6710 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6711 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6712 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6713 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6714 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6716 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6717 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6718 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6723 @node More Threading
6724 @subsubsection More Threading
6727 @item gnus-show-threads
6728 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6729 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6730 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6731 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6732 slower and more awkward.
6734 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6735 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6736 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6739 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6740 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6741 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6746 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6747 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6748 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6751 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6752 unread, but you get my drift.)
6755 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6756 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6757 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6758 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6759 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6760 threads are expunged.
6762 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6763 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6764 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6767 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6768 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6769 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6770 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6771 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6772 result in a new thread.
6774 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6775 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6776 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6779 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6780 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6781 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6782 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6783 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6784 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6785 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6786 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6787 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6788 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6789 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6794 @node Low-Level Threading
6795 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6799 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6800 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6801 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
6802 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
6803 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
6804 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
6806 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6807 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6808 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6809 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6810 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6811 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6812 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6813 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6814 meaningful. Here's one example:
6817 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6819 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6820 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6822 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6824 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6831 @node Thread Commands
6832 @subsection Thread Commands
6833 @cindex thread commands
6839 @kindex T k (Summary)
6840 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6841 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6842 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6843 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6844 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6849 @kindex T l (Summary)
6850 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6851 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6852 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6853 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6856 @kindex T i (Summary)
6857 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6858 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6859 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6862 @kindex T # (Summary)
6863 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6864 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6865 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6868 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6869 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6870 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6871 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6874 @kindex T T (Summary)
6875 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6876 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6879 @kindex T s (Summary)
6880 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6881 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6882 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6885 @kindex T h (Summary)
6886 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6887 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6890 @kindex T S (Summary)
6891 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6892 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6895 @kindex T H (Summary)
6896 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6897 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6900 @kindex T t (Summary)
6901 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6902 Re-thread the current article's thread
6903 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6904 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6907 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6908 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6909 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6910 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6914 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6915 understand the numeric prefix.
6920 @kindex T n (Summary)
6922 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6924 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6925 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6926 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6929 @kindex T p (Summary)
6931 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6933 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6934 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6935 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6938 @kindex T d (Summary)
6939 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6940 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6943 @kindex T u (Summary)
6944 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6945 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6948 @kindex T o (Summary)
6949 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6950 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6953 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6954 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6955 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6956 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6957 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6958 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6959 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6960 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6961 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6962 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6963 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6964 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6968 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6969 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6971 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6972 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6973 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6974 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6975 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6976 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6977 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6978 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6979 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
6980 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
6981 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6982 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6983 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6984 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6986 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6987 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6988 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6989 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6990 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6991 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6992 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6993 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6995 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6996 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6997 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6999 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7000 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7001 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7002 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7003 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7004 ascending article order.
7006 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7007 by number, you could do something like:
7010 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7011 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7012 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7013 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7016 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7017 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7018 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7019 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7020 which the articles arrived.
7022 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7026 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7028 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
7029 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7032 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7033 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7034 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7035 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7038 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7039 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7040 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7041 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7042 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7043 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7044 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7045 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7046 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7047 variable. It is very similar to the
7048 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7049 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7050 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7051 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7052 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7053 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7054 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7056 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7060 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7061 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7062 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7067 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7068 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7069 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7070 @cindex article pre-fetch
7073 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7074 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7075 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7076 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7077 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7079 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7080 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
7082 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7083 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7084 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7085 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7086 connection is blocked.
7088 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7089 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7090 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7091 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
7093 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7094 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7095 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7096 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7099 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7102 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7103 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7104 happen automatically.
7106 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7107 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7108 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7109 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7110 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7111 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7112 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7114 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7115 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7116 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7117 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7118 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7119 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7120 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7121 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7122 article data structure as the only parameter.
7124 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7125 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7128 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7129 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7130 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7131 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7134 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7137 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7138 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
7139 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7141 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7142 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7143 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7144 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7148 Remove articles when they are read.
7151 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7154 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7156 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7157 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7158 @c from the next group.
7161 @node Article Caching
7162 @section Article Caching
7163 @cindex article caching
7166 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7167 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7168 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7169 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7170 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7172 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7174 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7175 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7176 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7177 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7178 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7179 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7180 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7181 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7183 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7184 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7185 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7186 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7187 as dormant, and don't worry.
7189 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7191 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7192 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7193 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7194 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7195 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7196 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7197 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7198 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7199 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7200 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7202 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7203 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7204 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7205 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7206 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7207 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7208 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7209 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7210 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7211 not then be downloaded by this command.
7213 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7214 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7215 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7216 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7217 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7218 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7220 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7221 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7222 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7223 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7224 variables, the group is not cached.
7226 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7227 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7228 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7229 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7230 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7231 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
7232 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7233 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7234 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7237 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7238 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7239 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7240 where, isn't that cool?
7242 @node Persistent Articles
7243 @section Persistent Articles
7244 @cindex persistent articles
7246 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7247 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7248 useful in my opinion.
7250 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7251 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7252 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7253 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7254 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7255 the expiry going on at the news server.
7257 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7258 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7259 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7265 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7266 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7269 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7270 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7271 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7272 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7276 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7278 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7279 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7280 interested in persistent articles:
7283 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7287 @node Article Backlog
7288 @section Article Backlog
7290 @cindex article backlog
7292 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7293 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7294 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
7295 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7296 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7297 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7298 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
7299 increase memory usage some.
7301 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7302 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
7303 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7304 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
7305 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7306 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7307 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7309 The default value is 20.
7312 @node Saving Articles
7313 @section Saving Articles
7314 @cindex saving articles
7316 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7317 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7318 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7319 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7320 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7322 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7323 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7324 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7326 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7327 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
7328 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7330 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7331 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7332 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7333 deleted before saving.
7339 @kindex O o (Summary)
7341 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7342 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7343 Save the current article using the default article saver
7344 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7347 @kindex O m (Summary)
7348 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7349 Save the current article in mail format
7350 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7353 @kindex O r (Summary)
7354 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7355 Save the current article in Rmail format
7356 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7359 @kindex O f (Summary)
7360 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7361 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7362 Save the current article in plain file format
7363 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7366 @kindex O F (Summary)
7367 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7368 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7369 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7372 @kindex O b (Summary)
7373 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7374 Save the current article body in plain file format
7375 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7378 @kindex O h (Summary)
7379 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7380 Save the current article in mh folder format
7381 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7384 @kindex O v (Summary)
7385 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7386 Save the current article in a VM folder
7387 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7391 @kindex O p (Summary)
7393 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7394 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7395 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7396 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7397 complete headers in the piped output.
7400 @kindex O P (Summary)
7401 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7402 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7403 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7404 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7405 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7406 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7407 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7411 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7412 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7413 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7414 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7415 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7416 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7417 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7418 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7419 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7420 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7421 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7422 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7426 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7427 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7428 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7429 functions below, or you can create your own.
7433 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7434 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7435 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7436 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7437 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7438 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7439 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7441 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7442 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7443 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7444 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7445 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7446 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7448 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7449 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7450 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7451 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7452 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7453 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7454 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7456 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7457 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7458 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7459 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7460 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7461 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7463 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7464 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7465 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7466 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7467 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7469 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7470 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7471 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7472 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7473 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7476 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7477 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7478 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7479 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7480 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7482 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7483 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7484 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7485 reader to use this setting.
7488 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7489 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7490 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7491 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7494 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7495 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7496 available functions that generate names:
7500 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7501 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7502 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7504 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7505 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7506 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7508 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7509 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7510 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7512 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7513 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7514 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7516 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7517 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7518 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7521 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7522 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7523 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7524 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7525 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7529 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7530 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7531 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7532 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7535 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7536 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7537 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7538 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7539 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7540 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7541 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7542 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7543 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7545 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7546 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7547 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7548 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7550 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7551 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7552 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7555 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7556 lots of mail groups called things like
7557 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7558 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7559 following will do just that:
7562 (defun my-save-name (group)
7563 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7564 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7566 (setq gnus-split-methods
7567 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7572 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7573 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7574 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7575 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7576 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7577 all the files in the top level directory
7578 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7579 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7580 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7581 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7583 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7584 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7585 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7586 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7587 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7590 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7594 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7595 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7596 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7599 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7600 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7601 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7602 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7605 @node Decoding Articles
7606 @section Decoding Articles
7607 @cindex decoding articles
7609 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7610 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7613 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7614 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7615 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7616 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7617 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7618 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7622 @cindex article series
7623 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7624 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7625 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7626 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7627 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7629 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7630 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7631 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7633 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
7634 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7635 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7637 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7638 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7639 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7642 @node Uuencoded Articles
7643 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7645 @cindex uuencoded articles
7650 @kindex X u (Summary)
7651 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7652 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7653 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7656 @kindex X U (Summary)
7657 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7658 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7659 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7662 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7663 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7664 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7667 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7668 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7669 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7670 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7674 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7675 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7676 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7677 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7678 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7680 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7681 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7682 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7683 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7686 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7687 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7688 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7689 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7690 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7691 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7695 @node Shell Archives
7696 @subsection Shell Archives
7698 @cindex shell archives
7699 @cindex shared articles
7701 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7702 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7703 some commands to deal with these:
7708 @kindex X s (Summary)
7709 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7710 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7713 @kindex X S (Summary)
7714 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7715 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7718 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7719 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7720 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7723 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7724 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7725 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7726 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7730 @node PostScript Files
7731 @subsection PostScript Files
7737 @kindex X p (Summary)
7738 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7739 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7742 @kindex X P (Summary)
7743 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7744 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7745 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7748 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7749 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7750 View the current PostScript series
7751 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7754 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7755 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7756 View and save the current PostScript series
7757 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7762 @subsection Other Files
7766 @kindex X o (Summary)
7767 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7768 Save the current series
7769 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7772 @kindex X b (Summary)
7773 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7774 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7775 doesn't really work yet.
7779 @node Decoding Variables
7780 @subsection Decoding Variables
7782 Adjective, not verb.
7785 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7786 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7787 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7791 @node Rule Variables
7792 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7793 @cindex rule variables
7795 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7796 variables are of the form
7799 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7806 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7807 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7809 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7810 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7813 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7814 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7817 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7818 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7819 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7820 user and default view rules.
7822 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7823 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7824 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7829 @node Other Decode Variables
7830 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7833 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7835 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7836 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7837 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7838 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7839 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7843 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7844 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7847 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7848 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7849 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7852 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7853 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7854 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7855 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7856 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7859 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7860 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7861 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7863 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7864 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7865 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7866 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7867 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7870 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7871 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7872 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7874 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7875 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7876 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7877 looking for files to display.
7879 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7880 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7881 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7884 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7885 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7886 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7889 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7890 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7891 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7894 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7895 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7896 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7899 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7900 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7901 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7902 decoded articles as unread.
7904 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7905 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7906 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7907 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7909 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7910 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7911 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7913 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7914 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7916 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7917 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
7918 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7919 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7921 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7922 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7923 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7924 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7925 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7926 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7927 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7928 simply dropped them.
7933 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7934 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7938 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7939 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7940 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7941 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7942 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7943 for you when you post the article.
7945 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7946 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7947 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7948 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7950 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7951 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7952 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7953 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7954 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7955 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7956 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7958 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7959 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7960 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7961 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7962 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7963 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7964 Default is @code{t}.
7970 @subsection Viewing Files
7971 @cindex viewing files
7972 @cindex pseudo-articles
7974 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7975 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7976 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7977 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7978 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7979 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7980 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7982 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7983 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7984 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7985 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7987 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7988 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7989 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7991 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7992 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7993 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7994 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7995 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7997 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7998 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7999 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8000 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8001 a list of parameters to that command.
8003 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8004 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8005 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8007 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8008 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8009 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8012 @node Article Treatment
8013 @section Article Treatment
8015 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8016 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8017 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8018 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8019 these articles easier.
8022 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8023 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8024 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8025 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8026 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8027 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8028 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8029 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8030 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8031 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8032 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8036 @node Article Highlighting
8037 @subsection Article Highlighting
8038 @cindex highlighting
8040 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8041 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8046 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8047 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8048 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8049 Do much highlighting of the current article
8050 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8051 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8054 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8055 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8056 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8057 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8058 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8059 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8060 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8061 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8062 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8063 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8064 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8065 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8068 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8069 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8070 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8072 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8075 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8077 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8078 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8079 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8081 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8082 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8083 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8085 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8086 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8087 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8088 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8089 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8090 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8092 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8093 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8094 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8096 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8097 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8098 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8100 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8101 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8102 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8103 that it's a citation.
8105 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8106 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8107 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8109 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8110 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8111 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8113 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8114 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8115 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8116 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8122 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8123 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8124 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8125 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8126 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8127 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8128 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8129 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8134 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8137 @node Article Fontisizing
8138 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8140 @cindex article emphasis
8142 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8143 @kindex W e (Summary)
8144 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8145 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8146 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8147 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8149 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8150 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8151 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8152 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8153 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8154 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8155 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8156 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8160 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8161 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8162 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8171 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8172 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8173 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8174 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8175 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8176 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8177 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8178 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8179 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8180 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8181 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8182 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8183 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8185 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8186 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8187 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8191 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8194 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8196 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8197 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8198 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8199 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8201 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8204 @node Article Hiding
8205 @subsection Article Hiding
8206 @cindex article hiding
8208 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8209 too much cruft in most articles.
8214 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8215 @findex gnus-article-hide
8216 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8217 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8218 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8221 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8222 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8223 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8227 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8228 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8229 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8230 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8233 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8234 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8235 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8239 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8240 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8241 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8242 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8243 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8244 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8245 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8246 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8250 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8251 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8252 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8253 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8258 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8259 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8260 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8261 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8264 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8265 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8266 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8267 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8270 @cindex stripping advertisements
8271 @cindex advertisements
8272 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8273 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8274 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8275 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8276 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8277 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8278 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8279 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8280 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8281 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8284 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8285 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8286 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8290 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8291 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8292 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8293 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8294 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8295 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8296 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8297 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8298 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8299 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8300 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8303 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8304 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8310 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8311 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8312 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8313 customizing the hiding:
8317 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8318 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8319 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8320 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8321 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8322 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8323 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8328 Starting point of the hidden text.
8330 Ending point of the hidden text.
8332 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8334 Number of lines of hidden text.
8337 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8338 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8339 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8340 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8341 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8346 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8347 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8349 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8350 following two variables:
8353 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8354 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8355 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8356 50), hide the cited text.
8358 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8359 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8360 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8365 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8366 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8367 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8368 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8369 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8370 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8374 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8375 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8376 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8378 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8379 citation customization.
8381 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8385 @node Article Washing
8386 @subsection Article Washing
8388 @cindex article washing
8390 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8391 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8393 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8394 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8397 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8398 articles by default.
8403 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8404 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8408 Force redisplaying of the current article
8409 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8410 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8411 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8412 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8415 @kindex W l (Summary)
8416 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8417 Remove page breaks from the current article
8418 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8422 @kindex W r (Summary)
8423 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8424 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8425 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8426 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8427 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8428 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8430 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8431 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8432 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8433 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8436 @kindex W m (Summary)
8437 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8438 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8442 @kindex W t (Summary)
8444 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8445 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8446 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8449 @kindex W v (Summary)
8450 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8451 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8452 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8455 @kindex W m (Summary)
8456 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
8457 Toggle whether to run the article through @acronym{MIME} before
8458 displaying (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
8461 @kindex W o (Summary)
8462 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8463 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8466 @kindex W d (Summary)
8467 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8468 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8470 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8472 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8473 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8474 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8475 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8478 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8479 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8480 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8481 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8484 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8485 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8486 @cindex Outlook Express
8487 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8488 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8489 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8492 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8493 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8494 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8495 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8496 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8497 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8498 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8499 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8500 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8501 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8504 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8505 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8506 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8507 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8510 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8511 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8512 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8513 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8516 @kindex W w (Summary)
8517 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8518 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8520 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8524 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8525 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8526 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8529 @kindex W C (Summary)
8530 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8531 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8532 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8535 @kindex W c (Summary)
8536 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8537 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8538 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8539 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8540 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8542 @kindex W q (Summary)
8543 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8544 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8545 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8546 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8547 makes strings like @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which
8548 doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually done
8549 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8550 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8551 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8554 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8555 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8556 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8557 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8558 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8559 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8560 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8561 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8564 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8565 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8566 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8567 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8568 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8571 @kindex W u (Summary)
8572 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8573 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8574 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8575 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8576 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8579 @kindex W h (Summary)
8580 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8581 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8582 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8583 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8585 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8587 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8588 The default is to use the function specified by
8589 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8590 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8591 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8592 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8600 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8603 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8606 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8609 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8614 @kindex W b (Summary)
8615 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8616 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8617 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8620 @kindex W B (Summary)
8621 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8622 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8623 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8626 @kindex W p (Summary)
8627 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8628 Verify a signed control message
8629 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8630 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8631 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8632 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8633 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8634 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8637 @kindex W s (Summary)
8638 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8639 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8640 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8641 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8644 @kindex W a (Summary)
8645 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8646 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8647 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8650 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8651 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8652 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8653 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8656 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8657 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8658 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8659 lines with a single empty line.
8660 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8663 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8664 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8665 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8666 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8669 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8670 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8671 Do all the three commands above
8672 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8675 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8676 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8677 Remove all blank lines
8678 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8681 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8682 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8683 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8684 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8687 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8688 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8689 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8690 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8694 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8697 @node Article Header
8698 @subsection Article Header
8700 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8705 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8706 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8707 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8710 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8711 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8712 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8713 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8716 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8717 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8718 Fold all the message headers
8719 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8722 @kindex W E w (Summary)
8723 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8724 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8725 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8730 @node Article Buttons
8731 @subsection Article Buttons
8734 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8735 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8736 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8737 button on these references.
8739 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8740 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8741 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8742 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8743 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8747 @item gnus-button-alist
8748 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8749 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8752 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8758 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8759 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8760 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8761 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8762 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8765 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8766 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8767 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8770 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8771 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8772 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8773 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8774 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8776 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8779 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8782 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8783 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8787 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8790 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8793 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8794 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8795 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8796 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8797 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8800 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8803 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8806 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8809 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8810 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8812 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8814 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8815 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8816 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8817 default values of the variables above.
8819 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8821 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8822 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8823 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8824 argument with a string naming the man page.
8826 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8828 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8829 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8830 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8832 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8833 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8834 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8835 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8836 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8837 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8838 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8839 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8840 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8841 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8842 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8843 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8845 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8846 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8847 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8848 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8849 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8852 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8853 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8854 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8855 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8857 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8859 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8860 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8861 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8862 argument, the string naming the URL.
8865 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8866 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8867 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8871 @item gnus-article-button-face
8872 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8873 Face used on buttons.
8875 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8876 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8877 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8881 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8884 @node Article Button Levels
8885 @subsection Article button levels
8886 @cindex button levels
8887 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8888 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8889 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8890 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8891 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8892 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8893 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8894 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8897 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
8898 (setq gnus-parameters
8899 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8900 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8901 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8906 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8907 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8908 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8909 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8910 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8911 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8913 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8914 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8915 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8916 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8917 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8918 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8919 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8920 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8921 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8922 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8923 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8924 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8925 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8927 @item gnus-button-man-level
8928 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8929 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8930 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8932 @item gnus-button-message-level
8933 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8934 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8935 Related variables and functions include
8936 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8937 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8938 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8939 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
8941 @item gnus-button-tex-level
8942 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
8943 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
8944 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
8945 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
8946 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
8947 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
8953 @subsection Article Date
8955 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8956 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8957 when the article was sent.
8962 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8963 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8964 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8965 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8968 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8969 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8971 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8972 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8975 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8976 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8977 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8980 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8981 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8982 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8983 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8986 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8987 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8988 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8989 @findex format-time-string
8990 Display the date using a user-defined format
8991 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8992 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8993 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8994 for a list of possible format specs.
8997 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8998 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8999 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9000 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9001 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9002 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9005 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9008 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9009 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9010 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9013 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9014 into wonderful absurdities.
9016 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9019 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9022 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9023 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9027 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9028 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9029 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9030 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9031 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9032 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9033 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9037 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9038 preferred format automatically.
9041 @node Article Display
9042 @subsection Article Display
9047 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9048 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9050 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9051 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9053 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9054 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9056 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9057 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9059 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9060 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9062 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9067 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9068 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9069 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9070 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9073 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9074 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9075 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9076 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9079 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9080 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9081 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9084 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9085 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9086 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9089 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9090 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9091 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9092 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9095 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9096 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9097 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9098 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9101 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9102 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9103 Remove all images from the article buffer
9104 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9110 @node Article Signature
9111 @subsection Article Signature
9113 @cindex article signature
9115 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9116 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9117 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9118 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9119 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9120 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9121 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9122 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9123 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9126 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9127 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9128 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9129 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9130 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9131 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9132 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9133 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9136 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9139 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9140 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9141 signature when displaying articles.
9145 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9148 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9151 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9152 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9154 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9155 in question is not a signature.
9158 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9159 listed above. Here's an example:
9162 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9163 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9166 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9167 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9168 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9169 signature after all.
9172 @node Article Miscellanea
9173 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9177 @kindex A t (Summary)
9178 @findex gnus-article-babel
9179 Translate the article from one language to another
9180 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9186 @section MIME Commands
9187 @cindex MIME decoding
9189 @cindex viewing attachments
9191 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9192 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9198 @kindex K v (Summary)
9199 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9202 @kindex K o (Summary)
9203 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9206 @kindex K c (Summary)
9207 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9210 @kindex K e (Summary)
9211 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9214 @kindex K i (Summary)
9215 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9218 @kindex K | (Summary)
9219 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9222 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9227 @kindex K b (Summary)
9228 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9229 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9233 @kindex K m (Summary)
9234 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9235 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9236 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9237 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9238 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9241 @kindex X m (Summary)
9242 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9243 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9244 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9245 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9248 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9249 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9250 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9251 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9254 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9255 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9256 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9257 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9260 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9261 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9262 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9263 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9265 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9266 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9267 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9268 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9269 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9270 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9273 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9274 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9275 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9276 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9283 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9284 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9285 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9286 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9289 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9292 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9296 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9297 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9298 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9299 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9300 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9301 default is @code{nil}.
9303 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9304 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9305 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9306 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9307 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9308 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9309 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9311 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9312 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9313 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9314 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9315 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9316 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9317 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9318 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9320 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9321 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9322 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9323 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9324 displayed. This variable overrides
9325 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9326 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9329 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9330 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9331 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9333 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9334 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9335 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9336 default value is @code{nil}.
9338 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9339 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9340 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9341 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9342 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9343 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9344 save all jpegs into some directory).
9346 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9349 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9350 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9352 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9353 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9354 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9355 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9356 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9359 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9360 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9361 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9363 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9364 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9365 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9366 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9368 Ready-made functions include@*
9369 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9370 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9371 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9372 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9373 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9374 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9375 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9376 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9377 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9378 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9379 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9380 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9382 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9383 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9385 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9386 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9387 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9390 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9391 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9392 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9393 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9397 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9406 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9407 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9408 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9409 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9410 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9411 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9412 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9414 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9415 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9416 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9417 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9419 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9420 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9421 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9422 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9423 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9424 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9425 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9426 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9427 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9429 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9430 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9431 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9432 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9433 quoted-printable header encoding.
9435 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9436 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9437 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9441 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9444 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9445 means encode all charsets),
9447 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9448 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9449 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9456 @cindex coding system aliases
9457 @cindex preferred charset
9459 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9461 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9462 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9465 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9466 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9469 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9470 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9472 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9475 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9478 This will almost do the right thing.
9480 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9484 (codepage-setup 1251)
9485 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9489 @node Article Commands
9490 @section Article Commands
9497 @kindex A P (Summary)
9498 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9499 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9500 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9501 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9502 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9503 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9508 @node Summary Sorting
9509 @section Summary Sorting
9510 @cindex summary sorting
9512 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9513 can't really see why you'd want that.
9518 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9519 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9520 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9523 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9524 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9525 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9528 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9529 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9530 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9533 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9534 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9535 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9538 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9539 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9540 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9543 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9544 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9545 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9548 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9549 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9550 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9553 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9554 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9555 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9558 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9559 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9560 Sort using the default sorting method
9561 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9564 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9565 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9566 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9567 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9568 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9572 @node Finding the Parent
9573 @section Finding the Parent
9574 @cindex parent articles
9575 @cindex referring articles
9580 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9581 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9582 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9583 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9584 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9585 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9586 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9587 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9588 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9590 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9591 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9592 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
9593 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9594 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9598 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9599 @kindex A R (Summary)
9600 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9601 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9604 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9605 @kindex A T (Summary)
9606 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9607 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9608 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9609 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9610 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9611 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9612 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9614 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9615 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9616 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9617 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9618 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9619 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9622 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9623 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9625 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9626 You can also ask the @acronym{NNTP} server for an arbitrary article, no
9627 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9628 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9629 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9630 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9631 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9634 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9635 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9636 by giving this command a prefix.
9638 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9639 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9640 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9641 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9642 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9643 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9646 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9647 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9648 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9651 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9652 then ask Google if that fails:
9655 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9657 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9660 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9661 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9662 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
9663 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9664 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
9665 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
9666 not support this at all.
9669 @node Alternative Approaches
9670 @section Alternative Approaches
9672 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9673 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9676 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9677 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9682 @subsection Pick and Read
9683 @cindex pick and read
9685 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9686 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9687 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9688 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9690 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9691 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9692 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9693 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9694 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9695 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9697 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9702 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9703 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9704 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9705 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9706 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9707 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9708 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9709 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9712 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9713 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9714 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9715 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9719 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9720 Unpick the thread or article
9721 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9722 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9723 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9724 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9725 the thread or article at that line.
9729 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9730 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9731 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9732 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9733 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9734 will still be visible when you are reading.
9738 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9739 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9740 which is mapped to the same function
9741 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9743 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9746 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9749 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9750 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9752 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9753 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9754 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9756 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9757 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9758 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9759 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9760 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9761 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9762 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9766 @subsection Binary Groups
9767 @cindex binary groups
9769 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9770 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9771 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9772 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9773 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9774 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9775 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9778 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9779 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9780 command, when you have turned on this mode
9781 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9783 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9784 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9788 @section Tree Display
9791 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9792 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
9793 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9794 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9797 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9800 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9801 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9802 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9804 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9805 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9806 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9807 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9808 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9810 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9811 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9812 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9813 default is @code{modeline}.
9815 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9816 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9817 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9818 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9819 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9820 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9821 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9827 The name of the poster.
9829 The @code{From} header.
9831 The number of the article.
9833 The opening bracket.
9835 The closing bracket.
9840 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9842 Variables related to the display are:
9845 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9846 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9847 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9848 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
9850 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9851 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
9852 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
9854 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9856 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9857 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9858 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9859 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9863 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9864 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9865 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
9866 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
9867 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9868 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9869 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9870 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9871 other windows displayed next to it.
9873 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9877 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9878 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9881 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9882 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9883 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9884 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9885 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9886 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9887 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9891 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9894 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9904 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9909 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9910 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9912 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9914 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9920 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9921 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9922 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
9925 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9926 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9927 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9928 (gnus-add-configuration
9932 (summary 0.75 point)
9937 @xref{Window Layout}.
9940 @node Mail Group Commands
9941 @section Mail Group Commands
9942 @cindex mail group commands
9944 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9945 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9947 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9948 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9953 @kindex B e (Summary)
9954 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9955 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9956 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9957 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9958 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9961 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9962 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9963 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9964 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9965 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9966 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9969 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9970 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9971 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9972 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9973 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9974 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9977 @kindex B m (Summary)
9979 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9980 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9981 Move the article from one mail group to another
9982 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9983 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9986 @kindex B c (Summary)
9988 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9989 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9990 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9991 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9992 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9995 @kindex B B (Summary)
9996 @cindex crosspost mail
9997 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9998 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9999 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10000 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10001 be properly updated.
10004 @kindex B i (Summary)
10005 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10006 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10007 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10008 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10011 @kindex B I (Summary)
10012 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10013 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10014 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10015 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10018 @kindex B r (Summary)
10019 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10020 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10021 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10022 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10023 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10024 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10025 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10026 (which is the default).
10030 @kindex B w (Summary)
10031 @kindex e (Summary)
10032 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10033 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10034 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10035 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10036 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10037 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10038 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10041 @kindex B q (Summary)
10042 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10043 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10044 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10045 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10048 @kindex B t (Summary)
10049 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10050 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10051 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10054 @kindex B p (Summary)
10055 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10056 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10057 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10058 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10059 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10060 article from your news server (or rather, from
10061 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10062 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10063 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10064 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10065 just not have arrived yet.
10068 @kindex K E (Summary)
10069 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10070 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10071 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10072 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10073 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10077 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10078 @cindex moving articles
10079 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
10080 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10081 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10082 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10083 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10084 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10085 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10088 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10089 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10090 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10091 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10095 @node Various Summary Stuff
10096 @section Various Summary Stuff
10099 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10100 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10101 * Summary Generation Commands::
10102 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10106 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10107 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10108 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10109 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10110 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10111 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10113 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10114 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10115 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10118 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10119 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10120 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10122 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10123 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10124 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10125 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10126 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10127 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10130 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10131 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10132 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10133 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10134 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10136 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10137 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10138 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10141 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10142 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10143 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10144 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10145 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10146 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10147 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
10148 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10149 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10150 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10152 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10153 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10154 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10155 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10156 list of articles to be selected.
10158 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10159 the list in one particular group:
10162 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10163 (if (string= group "some.group")
10164 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10168 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10169 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10170 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10171 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
10172 @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary buffer is
10173 active. These variables can be used to set variables in the group
10174 parameters while still allowing them to affect operations done in
10175 other buffers. For example:
10178 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10179 '(message-use-followup-to
10180 (gnus-visible-headers .
10181 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10187 @node Summary Group Information
10188 @subsection Summary Group Information
10193 @kindex H f (Summary)
10194 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10195 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10196 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10197 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10198 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10199 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10200 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10201 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10202 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10205 @kindex H d (Summary)
10206 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10207 Give a brief description of the current group
10208 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10209 rereading the description from the server.
10212 @kindex H h (Summary)
10213 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10214 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10215 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10218 @kindex H i (Summary)
10219 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10220 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10224 @node Searching for Articles
10225 @subsection Searching for Articles
10230 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10231 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10232 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10233 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10236 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10237 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10238 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10239 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10242 @kindex & (Summary)
10243 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10244 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10245 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10246 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10247 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10248 search backward instead.
10250 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10251 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10254 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10255 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10256 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10257 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10260 @node Summary Generation Commands
10261 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10266 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10267 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10268 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10271 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10272 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10273 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10274 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10277 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10278 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10279 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10280 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10285 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10286 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10292 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10293 @kindex A D (Summary)
10294 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10295 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10296 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10297 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10298 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10299 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10300 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10301 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10305 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10306 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10307 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10308 several documents into one biiig group
10309 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10310 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10311 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10312 command understands the process/prefix convention
10313 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10316 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10317 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10318 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10319 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10320 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10321 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10324 @kindex = (Summary)
10325 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10326 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10327 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10330 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10331 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10332 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10333 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10336 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10337 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10338 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10339 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10344 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10345 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10346 @cindex summary exit
10347 @cindex exiting groups
10349 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10350 group and return you to the group buffer.
10357 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10358 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10359 @kindex q (Summary)
10360 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10361 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10362 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10363 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10364 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10365 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10366 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10367 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10368 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10369 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10370 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10371 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10375 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10376 @kindex Q (Summary)
10377 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10378 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10379 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10383 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10384 @kindex c (Summary)
10385 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10386 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10387 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10388 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10391 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10392 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10393 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10394 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10397 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10398 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10399 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10400 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10404 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10405 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10406 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10407 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10408 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10409 all articles, both read and unread.
10413 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10414 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10415 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10416 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10417 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10418 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10419 articles, both read and unread.
10422 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10423 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10424 Exit the group and go to the next group
10425 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10428 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10429 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10430 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10431 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10434 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10435 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10436 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10437 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10438 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10439 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10442 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10443 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10444 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10445 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10447 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10448 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10449 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10450 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10451 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10452 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10453 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10454 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10455 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10456 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10457 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10458 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10460 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10462 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10463 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10464 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10465 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10466 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10467 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10468 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10469 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10470 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10473 @node Crosspost Handling
10474 @section Crosspost Handling
10478 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10479 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10480 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10481 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10482 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10483 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10486 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10487 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10488 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10489 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10490 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10492 @cindex cross-posting
10494 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10495 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10496 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10497 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10498 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10499 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10500 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10501 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10502 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10503 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10504 the cross reference mechanism.
10506 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10507 @cindex overview.fmt
10508 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10509 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10510 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10511 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10512 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10513 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10516 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10517 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10518 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10523 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10526 @node Duplicate Suppression
10527 @section Duplicate Suppression
10529 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10530 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10531 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10532 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10537 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10538 is evil and not very common.
10541 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10542 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10545 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10546 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10549 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10552 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10553 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10555 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10556 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10557 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10558 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10559 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10560 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10561 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10564 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10565 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10566 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10567 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10568 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10569 saw the article in.
10572 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10573 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10574 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10576 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10577 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10578 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10579 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10580 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
10581 session are suppressed.
10583 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10584 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10585 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10586 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10588 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10589 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10590 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10591 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10594 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
10595 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10596 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10597 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10598 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
10599 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10600 to you to figure out, I think.
10605 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10606 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10607 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10612 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10613 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10614 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10615 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10618 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10619 or newer is recommended.
10623 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10624 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10627 @item mm-verify-option
10628 @vindex mm-verify-option
10629 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10630 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10631 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10633 @item mm-decrypt-option
10634 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10635 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10636 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10637 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10640 @vindex mml1991-use
10641 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10642 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10643 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10647 @vindex mml2015-use
10648 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10649 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10650 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10655 @cindex snarfing keys
10656 @cindex importing PGP keys
10657 @cindex PGP key ring import
10658 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10659 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10660 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10661 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10662 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10663 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10664 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10665 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10666 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10669 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10672 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10673 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10676 @section Mailing List
10677 @cindex mailing list
10680 @kindex A M (summary)
10681 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10682 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10683 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10684 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10687 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10692 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10693 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10694 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10697 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10698 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10699 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10702 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10703 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10704 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10708 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10709 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10710 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10713 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10714 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10715 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10718 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10719 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10720 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10725 @node Article Buffer
10726 @chapter Article Buffer
10727 @cindex article buffer
10729 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10730 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10731 tell gnus otherwise.
10734 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10735 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10736 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10737 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10738 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10742 @node Hiding Headers
10743 @section Hiding Headers
10744 @cindex hiding headers
10745 @cindex deleting headers
10747 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10748 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10750 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10751 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10752 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10753 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10754 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10755 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10756 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10757 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10758 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10760 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10764 @item gnus-visible-headers
10765 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10766 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10767 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10768 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10770 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10771 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10774 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10777 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10780 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10781 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10782 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10783 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10784 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10785 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10787 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
10788 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
10791 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10794 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10797 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10798 variable will have no effect.
10802 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10803 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10804 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10805 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10806 the headers are to be displayed.
10808 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10809 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10812 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10815 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10816 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10818 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10819 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10820 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10821 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10822 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10823 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
10824 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10827 These conditions are:
10830 Remove all empty headers.
10832 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10833 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10835 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
10836 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
10839 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10842 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10843 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
10845 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10846 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10848 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10849 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10851 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10854 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10856 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10859 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10862 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10863 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10866 This is also the default value for this variable.
10870 @section Using MIME
10871 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
10873 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10874 while people stand around yawning.
10876 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10877 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10879 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10880 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10881 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10883 @vindex gnus-show-mime
10884 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
10885 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
10886 gnus handles @acronym{MIME} by pushing the articles through
10887 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
10888 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
10889 calls the @acronym{SEMI} MIME-View program to actually do the work. For
10890 more information on @acronym{SEMI} MIME-View, see its manual page
10891 (however it is not existed yet, sorry).
10893 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
10894 @acronym{MIME} all the time. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime} set,
10895 then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article buffer.
10896 These can't be avoided.
10898 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
10899 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
10900 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
10901 @acronym{MIME} has decoded the sound file in the article and some
10902 horrible sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you
10903 can't find the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are
10904 starting to look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't,
10905 and you can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else
10906 in the room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll
10907 feel rather stupid.)
10909 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10911 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
10912 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
10913 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
10914 buffer when there are nobody else.
10916 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10919 @node Customizing Articles
10920 @section Customizing Articles
10921 @cindex article customization
10923 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10924 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10925 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10926 called automatically when you select the articles.
10928 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10929 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10930 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10931 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10933 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10934 for sensible values.
10938 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10941 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10944 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10947 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10950 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10954 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10955 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10956 regexps in the list.
10959 A list where the first element is not a string:
10961 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10962 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10963 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10967 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10971 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
10976 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10977 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
10978 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10979 considered to contain just a single part.
10981 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10982 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10983 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10984 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10985 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10986 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10987 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10989 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10990 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10991 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10992 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10995 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10996 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10998 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11000 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11001 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11002 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11003 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11004 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
11005 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11006 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11007 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11008 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11009 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11010 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset (t, integer)
11012 @xref{Article Washing}.
11014 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11015 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11016 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11017 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11018 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11019 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11020 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11022 @xref{Article Date}.
11024 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11025 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11026 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11030 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11032 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11034 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11035 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11036 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11040 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11044 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11048 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11049 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11050 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11051 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11052 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11053 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11054 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11055 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11056 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11057 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11059 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11061 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11062 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11063 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11065 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11067 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11068 @item gnus-treat-translate
11069 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11071 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11072 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11073 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11074 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11076 @xref{Article Header}.
11081 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11082 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11083 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11084 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11085 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11089 @node Article Keymap
11090 @section Article Keymap
11092 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11093 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11094 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11095 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11098 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11103 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11104 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11105 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11106 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11109 @kindex DEL (Article)
11110 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11111 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11112 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11115 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11116 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11117 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11118 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11119 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11122 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11123 @findex gnus-article-mail
11124 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11125 given a prefix, include the mail.
11128 @kindex s (Article)
11129 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11130 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11131 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11134 @kindex ? (Article)
11135 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11136 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11137 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11140 @kindex TAB (Article)
11141 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11142 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11143 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11146 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11147 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11148 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11151 @kindex R (Article)
11152 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11153 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11154 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11155 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11159 @kindex F (Article)
11160 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11161 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11162 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11163 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11171 @section Misc Article
11175 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11176 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11177 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11178 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11181 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11182 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11183 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11184 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11185 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11187 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11188 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11189 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11190 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11191 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11192 the contents of the article buffer.
11194 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11195 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11196 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11198 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11199 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11200 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11201 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11203 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11204 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11205 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11206 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11208 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11209 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11210 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11211 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
11212 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
11218 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11219 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11220 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11225 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11228 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11231 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11232 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11233 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11236 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11239 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11242 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11247 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11251 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11253 @item gnus-break-pages
11254 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11255 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11256 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11257 paging will not be done.
11259 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11260 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11261 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11265 @cindex internationalized domain names
11266 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11267 @item gnus-use-idna
11268 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11269 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11270 @samp{Cc} headers. This requires
11271 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11272 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11277 @node Composing Messages
11278 @chapter Composing Messages
11279 @cindex composing messages
11282 @cindex sending mail
11287 @cindex using s/mime
11288 @cindex using smime
11290 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11291 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11292 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11293 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11294 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11295 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11298 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11299 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11300 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11301 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11302 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11303 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11304 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11305 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11308 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11309 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11315 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11318 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11319 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11320 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11321 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11322 @code{nil} include all headers.
11324 @item gnus-add-to-list
11325 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11326 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11327 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11329 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11330 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11331 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11332 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11333 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11334 confirmation is should be asked for.
11336 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11337 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11339 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11340 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11341 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11342 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11343 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11348 @node Posting Server
11349 @section Posting Server
11351 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11352 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11354 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11356 It can be quite complicated.
11358 @vindex gnus-post-method
11359 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11360 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11361 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11362 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11363 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11364 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11365 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11366 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11367 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11370 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11373 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11374 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11375 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11376 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11378 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11379 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11381 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11382 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11385 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11386 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11388 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11389 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11390 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11391 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11392 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11393 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11394 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11395 package correctly. An example:
11398 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11399 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11400 ;; The following variable needs to be set because of the FLIM version of
11401 ;; smtpmail.el. Which smtpmail.el is used depends on the `load-path'.
11402 (setq smtp-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11405 To the thing similar to this, there is
11406 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your ISP requires
11407 the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. See the
11408 documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11410 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11411 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11412 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11414 @node Mail and Post
11415 @section Mail and Post
11417 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11421 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11422 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11423 @cindex mailing lists
11425 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11426 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11427 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11428 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11429 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11430 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11431 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11432 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11433 still a pain, though.
11435 @item gnus-user-agent
11436 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11439 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11440 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11441 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11442 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11443 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11444 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11445 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11449 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11450 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11451 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11454 @findex ispell-message
11456 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11459 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11460 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11463 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11467 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11468 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11470 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11473 Modify to suit your needs.
11476 @node Archived Messages
11477 @section Archived Messages
11478 @cindex archived messages
11479 @cindex sent messages
11481 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11482 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11483 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11484 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11487 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11488 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11491 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11492 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
11493 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11496 (nnfolder "archive"
11497 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11498 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11499 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11500 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11503 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11504 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11505 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11506 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11509 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11510 '(nnfolder "archive"
11511 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11512 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11513 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11516 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11518 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11519 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11520 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11522 This variable can be used to do the following:
11526 Messages will be saved in that group.
11528 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11529 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11530 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11531 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11532 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11533 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11534 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11535 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11538 @item a list of strings
11539 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11541 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11542 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11545 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11550 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11552 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11555 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11557 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11560 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11562 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11563 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11564 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11565 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11568 More complex stuff:
11570 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11571 '((if (message-news-p)
11576 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11577 messages in one file per month:
11580 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11581 '((if (message-news-p)
11583 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11586 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11587 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11589 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11590 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11591 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11592 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11593 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11594 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11595 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11596 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11597 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11598 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11600 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11601 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11602 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11603 this will disable archiving.
11606 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11607 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11608 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11609 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11610 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11613 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11614 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11615 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11618 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11619 but the latter is the preferred method.
11621 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11622 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11623 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11625 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11626 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11627 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11628 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11629 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11630 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11631 changed in the future.
11636 @node Posting Styles
11637 @section Posting Styles
11638 @cindex posting styles
11641 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11643 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11644 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11645 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11648 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11649 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11650 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11651 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11652 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11657 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11658 (organization "What me?"))
11660 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11661 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11662 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11665 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11666 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11667 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11668 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11669 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11670 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11671 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11672 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11674 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11675 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11676 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11677 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11678 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11679 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
11680 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11681 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11682 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11683 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11684 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11685 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11686 said to @dfn{match}.
11688 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11689 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11690 attribute name can be one of:
11693 @item @code{signature}
11694 @item @code{signature-file}
11695 @item @code{x-face-file}
11696 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
11697 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
11701 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
11702 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
11703 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
11704 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
11705 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
11707 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11708 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11709 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11710 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11711 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11712 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11713 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11714 references chars lines xref extra.
11716 @vindex message-reply-headers
11718 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11719 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11720 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11722 @findex message-mail-p
11723 @findex message-news-p
11725 So here's a new example:
11728 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11730 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11732 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11733 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11735 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11736 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
11737 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11738 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
11739 (signature my-news-signature))
11740 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
11741 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11742 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
11743 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11744 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11745 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
11746 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11747 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11748 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11749 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11751 (From (save-excursion
11752 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11753 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11755 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11758 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11759 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11760 if you fill many roles.
11762 Setting the @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} variable will make
11763 posting-styles allow to have distinctive names. You can specify an
11764 arbitrary posting-style when article posting with @kbd{S P} in the
11765 summary buffer. @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} is an alist which maps
11766 the names to styles. Once a posting-style is added to the alist, we can
11767 import it from @code{gnus-posting-styles}. If an attribute whose name
11768 is @code{import} is found, Gnus will look for the attribute value in
11769 @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} and expand it in place.
11774 (setq gnus-named-posting-styles
11776 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11778 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11779 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11782 (organization "The Church of Emacs"))))
11785 The posting-style named "Emacs" will inherit all the attributes from
11786 "Default" except @code{organization}.
11793 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11794 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11795 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11796 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11797 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11799 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11800 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11801 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11802 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11803 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11807 @vindex nndraft-directory
11808 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11809 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11810 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11811 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11812 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11813 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11815 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11816 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11817 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11818 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11819 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11820 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11821 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11822 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11823 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
11825 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11826 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11827 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11828 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11829 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11830 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11831 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11832 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11833 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11834 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11835 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11836 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11837 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11838 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11840 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11841 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11842 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11844 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11845 @kindex D e (Draft)
11846 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11847 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11848 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11850 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11853 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11854 @kindex D s (Draft)
11855 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11856 @kindex D S (Draft)
11857 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11858 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11859 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11860 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11861 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11864 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11865 @kindex D t (Draft)
11866 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11867 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11868 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11871 @node Rejected Articles
11872 @section Rejected Articles
11873 @cindex rejected articles
11875 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11876 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11877 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11878 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11880 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
11881 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11882 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11883 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
11884 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11886 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11887 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11888 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11890 @node Signing and encrypting
11891 @section Signing and encrypting
11893 @cindex using s/mime
11894 @cindex using smime
11896 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
11897 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
11898 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
11899 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
11901 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11902 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11903 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11904 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11905 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11906 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11907 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11908 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11909 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11910 automatically encrypted messages.
11912 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
11913 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
11914 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11919 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
11920 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11922 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11925 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
11926 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11928 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11931 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
11932 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11934 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11937 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
11938 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11940 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11943 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
11944 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11946 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11949 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
11950 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11952 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11955 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
11956 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11957 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
11961 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11963 @node Select Methods
11964 @chapter Select Methods
11965 @cindex foreign groups
11966 @cindex select methods
11968 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11969 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11970 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11971 personal mail group.
11973 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11974 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11975 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11976 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11977 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11978 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11980 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11981 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11983 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11986 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
11987 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11988 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11989 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11990 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11992 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11995 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11996 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11997 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11998 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11999 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12000 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12001 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12002 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12006 @node Server Buffer
12007 @section Server Buffer
12009 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12010 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12011 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12012 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12013 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12014 back end represents a virtual server.
12016 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12017 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12018 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12019 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12021 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12022 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12023 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12024 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12025 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12026 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12027 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12029 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12030 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12033 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12034 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12035 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12036 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12037 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12038 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12039 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12042 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12043 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12046 @node Server Buffer Format
12047 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12048 @cindex server buffer format
12050 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12051 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12052 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12053 variable, with some simple extensions:
12058 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12061 The name of this server.
12064 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12067 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12070 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12071 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12072 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12073 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12083 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12086 @node Server Commands
12087 @subsection Server Commands
12088 @cindex server commands
12094 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12095 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12099 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12100 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12103 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12104 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12105 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12109 @findex gnus-server-exit
12110 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12114 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12115 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12119 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12120 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12124 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12125 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12129 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12130 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12134 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12135 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12136 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12141 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12142 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12143 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12144 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12149 @node Example Methods
12150 @subsection Example Methods
12152 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12155 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12158 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12164 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12165 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12168 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12169 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12171 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12172 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12176 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12179 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12180 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12182 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12183 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12184 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12188 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12191 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12194 Here's the method for a public spool:
12198 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12199 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12205 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12206 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12207 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12208 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12209 should probably look something like this:
12213 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12214 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12215 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12216 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12219 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12220 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12221 configuration to the example above:
12224 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12227 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12229 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12230 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12231 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12235 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12236 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12237 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12238 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12241 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12242 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12243 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12244 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12247 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12248 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12250 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12251 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12253 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12254 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12255 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12257 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12259 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12260 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12261 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12262 will contain the following:
12272 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12273 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12276 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12277 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12278 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12281 @node Server Variables
12282 @subsection Server Variables
12283 @cindex server variables
12284 @cindex server parameters
12286 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12287 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12288 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12289 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12290 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12292 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12293 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12294 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12295 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12296 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12297 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12298 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12299 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12300 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12304 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12305 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12306 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12309 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12311 @node Servers and Methods
12312 @subsection Servers and Methods
12314 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12315 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12316 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12317 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12321 @node Unavailable Servers
12322 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12324 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12325 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12326 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12327 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12328 actually the case or not.
12330 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12331 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12332 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12333 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12334 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12335 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12336 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12337 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12339 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12340 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12342 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12343 with the following commands:
12349 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12350 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12351 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12355 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12356 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12357 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12361 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12362 Mark the current server as unreachable
12363 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12366 @kindex M-o (Server)
12367 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12368 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12369 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12372 @kindex M-c (Server)
12373 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12374 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12375 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12379 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12380 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12381 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12385 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12386 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12392 @section Getting News
12393 @cindex reading news
12394 @cindex news back ends
12396 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12397 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12398 or it can read from a local spool.
12401 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12402 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12410 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12411 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12412 server as the, uhm, address.
12414 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12415 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12416 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12417 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12419 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12420 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12421 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12423 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12428 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12429 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12430 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12432 @cindex authentification
12433 @cindex nntp authentification
12434 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12435 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12436 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12437 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12438 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12439 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12440 present in this hook.
12442 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12443 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12444 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12445 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12446 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12447 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12448 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12449 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12450 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12451 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12452 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12453 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12457 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12460 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12462 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12463 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12464 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12465 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12466 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12467 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12468 @samp{force} is explained below.
12472 Here's an example file:
12475 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12476 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12479 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12480 have to be first, for instance.
12482 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12483 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12484 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12485 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12486 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12487 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12488 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12490 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12491 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12497 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12498 previously mentioned.
12500 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12502 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12503 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12504 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12505 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12506 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12509 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12510 '(("innd" (ding))))
12513 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12515 The default value is
12518 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12519 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12520 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12523 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12524 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12526 @item nntp-maximum-request
12527 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12528 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12529 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12530 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12531 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12532 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12533 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12535 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12536 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12537 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12538 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12539 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12540 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12541 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12542 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12543 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12544 no timeouts are done.
12546 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12547 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12548 @c @cindex PPP connections
12549 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12550 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12551 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12552 @c changes after connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will simply sit
12553 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12554 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12555 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12556 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12557 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12558 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12560 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12561 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12562 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12563 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12564 @c described above.
12566 @item nntp-server-hook
12567 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12568 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @acronym{NNTP}
12571 @item nntp-buggy-select
12572 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12573 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12575 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12576 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12577 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12578 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12581 @item nntp-xover-commands
12582 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12583 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12585 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12586 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12590 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12591 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12592 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12593 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12594 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12595 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12596 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12597 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12598 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12599 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12600 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12602 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12603 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12604 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12606 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12607 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12608 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12609 server closes connection.
12611 @item nntp-record-commands
12612 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12613 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12614 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12615 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12616 that doesn't seem to work.
12618 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12619 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12620 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12621 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12622 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12623 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12624 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12625 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12627 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12628 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12629 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12630 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12631 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12632 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12633 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12636 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12639 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12640 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12642 @item nntp-read-timeout
12643 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12644 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12645 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12646 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12647 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12650 @item nntp-list-options
12651 @vindex nntp-list-options
12652 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
12653 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
12654 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
12655 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
12656 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
12660 (setq gnus-select-method
12661 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12662 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
12665 @item nntp-options-subscribe
12666 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
12667 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
12668 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12669 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12670 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12671 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12674 (setq gnus-select-method
12675 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12676 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
12679 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
12680 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
12681 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
12682 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12683 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12684 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12685 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12688 (setq gnus-select-method
12689 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12690 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
12695 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12696 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12697 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12701 @node Direct Functions
12702 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12703 @cindex direct connection functions
12705 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12706 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12707 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12708 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12711 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12712 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12713 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12716 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12717 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12718 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12719 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12720 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12723 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12724 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12726 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12727 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12728 (nntp-port-number )
12729 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12732 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12733 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12734 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12735 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12736 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12737 then define a server as follows:
12740 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12741 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12743 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12744 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12745 (nntp-port-number 563)
12746 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12749 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12750 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12751 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12752 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12753 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12754 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12755 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12756 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12760 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12761 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12762 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12765 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12766 session, which is not a good idea.
12770 @node Indirect Functions
12771 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12772 @cindex indirect connection functions
12774 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12775 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12776 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12777 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12778 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12779 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12782 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12783 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12784 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12785 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12786 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12788 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12791 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12792 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12793 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12794 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12796 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12797 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12798 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12799 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12800 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12801 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12802 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
12803 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
12807 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12808 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12809 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12810 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12812 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12815 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12816 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12817 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12820 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12821 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12822 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12823 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12825 @item nntp-via-user-password
12826 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12827 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12829 @item nntp-via-envuser
12830 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12831 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12832 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12833 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12835 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12836 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12837 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12838 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12845 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12850 @item nntp-via-user-name
12851 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12852 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12854 @item nntp-via-address
12855 @vindex nntp-via-address
12856 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12861 @node Common Variables
12862 @subsubsection Common Variables
12864 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12865 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12870 @item nntp-pre-command
12871 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12872 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
12873 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
12874 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
12875 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
12878 @vindex nntp-address
12879 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12881 @item nntp-port-number
12882 @vindex nntp-port-number
12883 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12884 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
12885 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12886 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
12887 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
12888 not work with named ports.
12890 @item nntp-end-of-line
12891 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12892 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
12893 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12894 using a non native connection function.
12896 @item nntp-telnet-command
12897 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12898 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
12899 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
12900 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12903 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12904 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12905 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12912 @subsection News Spool
12916 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12917 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12918 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12921 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12922 anything else) as the address.
12924 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12925 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12926 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12927 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12931 @item nnspool-inews-program
12932 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12933 Program used to post an article.
12935 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12936 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12937 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12939 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12940 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12941 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12942 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12944 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12945 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12946 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
12947 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12949 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12950 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12951 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12953 @item nnspool-active-file
12954 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12955 The name of the active file.
12957 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12958 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12959 The name of the group descriptions file.
12961 @item nnspool-history-file
12962 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12963 The name of the news history file.
12965 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12966 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12967 The name of the active date file.
12969 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12970 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12971 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
12974 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12975 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12977 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12978 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
12979 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
12986 @section Getting Mail
12987 @cindex reading mail
12990 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12994 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12995 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12996 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12997 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12998 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12999 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13000 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13001 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13002 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13003 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13004 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13005 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13006 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13010 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13011 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13013 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13014 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13015 of a culture shock.
13017 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13018 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13020 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13021 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13022 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13023 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13025 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13027 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13028 deleted? How awful!
13030 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13031 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13032 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13033 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13036 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13037 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13038 they want to treat a message.
13040 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13041 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13042 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13043 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13044 archived somewhere else.
13046 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13047 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13048 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13049 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13050 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13052 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13053 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13054 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13056 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13057 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13060 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13061 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13062 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13063 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13064 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13066 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13067 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13068 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13069 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13070 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13071 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13075 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13076 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13078 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13079 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13080 and things will happen automatically.
13082 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13083 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13086 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13089 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13090 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13091 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13092 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13093 like any other group.
13095 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13098 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13099 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13100 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13104 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13105 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13106 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13109 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13110 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13111 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13114 @node Splitting Mail
13115 @subsection Splitting Mail
13116 @cindex splitting mail
13117 @cindex mail splitting
13118 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13120 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13121 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13122 to be split into groups.
13125 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13126 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13127 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13128 ("mail.other" "")))
13131 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13132 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13133 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13134 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13135 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13136 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13137 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13140 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13143 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13144 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13145 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13146 mail belongs in that group.
13148 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13149 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
13150 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13151 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
13152 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
13153 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
13155 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13156 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13157 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13158 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13159 thinks should carry this mail message.
13161 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13162 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13163 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13164 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13166 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13167 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13168 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13169 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13170 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
13172 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13175 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13176 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13177 links. If that's the case for you, set
13178 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13179 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13181 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13182 @findex nnmail-split-history
13183 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13184 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13185 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13186 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13189 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13190 Header lines longer than the value of
13191 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13194 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13195 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13196 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13197 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13198 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13199 charset for decoding. The behaviour can be turned off completely by
13200 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13201 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13203 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13204 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13205 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13206 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13207 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13208 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13209 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13210 other kinds of entries.)
13212 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13213 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13214 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13215 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13216 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13217 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13218 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13219 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13220 month's rent money.
13224 @subsection Mail Sources
13226 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13227 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13228 maildir, for instance.
13231 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13232 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13233 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13237 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13238 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13240 @cindex mail server
13243 @cindex mail source
13245 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13246 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13251 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13254 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13255 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13256 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13259 The following mail source types are available:
13263 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13269 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13270 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13271 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13275 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13278 An example file mail source:
13281 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13284 Or using the default file name:
13290 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13291 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13292 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13293 mail spool while moving the mail.
13295 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13299 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13302 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13306 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13309 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13311 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13314 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13318 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13319 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13320 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13321 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13322 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13323 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13324 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13325 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13326 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13327 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13329 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13330 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13331 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13332 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13338 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13342 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13346 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13347 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13348 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13349 predicate are considered.
13353 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13357 An example directory mail source:
13360 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13365 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13371 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13372 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13375 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13376 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13377 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13378 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13379 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13382 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13386 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13387 the user is prompted.
13390 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13391 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13394 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13397 The valid format specifier characters are:
13401 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13402 included in this string.
13405 The name of the server.
13408 The port number of the server.
13411 The user name to use.
13414 The password to use.
13417 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13418 corresponding keywords.
13421 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13422 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13425 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13426 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13429 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13430 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13431 mail should be moved to.
13433 @item :authentication
13434 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13435 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13439 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this can be the symbol
13440 @code{ssl}, the symbol @code{tls} or others. The default is @code{nil}
13441 and use insecure connections. Note that for SSL/TLS, you need external
13442 programs and libraries:
13446 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL@. Requires OpenSSL (the program
13447 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
13448 library @samp{ssl.el}.
13450 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to SSL)@.
13451 Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
13456 Non-@code{nil} if mail is to be left on the server and UIDL used for
13457 message retrieval. The default is @code{nil}.
13461 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13462 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13464 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13465 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13471 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13474 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13475 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13478 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13481 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13485 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13486 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13487 contains exactly one mail.
13493 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13494 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13497 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13498 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13500 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13501 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13502 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13505 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13506 from locking problems).
13510 Two example maildir mail sources:
13513 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13514 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13518 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13523 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13524 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13525 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13526 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13527 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13529 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13530 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13536 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13537 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13540 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13541 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13544 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13548 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13552 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13553 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13554 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13555 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13557 @item :authentication
13558 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13559 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13560 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13561 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13564 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13565 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13566 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13572 The valid format specifier characters are:
13576 The name of the server.
13579 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13582 The port number of the server.
13585 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13586 corresponding keywords.
13589 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13590 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13593 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13594 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13595 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13596 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13597 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13598 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13601 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13602 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13603 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13604 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13607 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13608 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13612 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13615 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13617 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13621 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
13622 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
13623 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
13625 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13626 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13628 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13634 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13635 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13638 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13642 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13646 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13647 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13651 An example webmail source:
13654 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13656 :password "secret")
13661 @item Common Keywords
13662 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13668 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
13669 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
13674 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13679 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13680 useful when you use local mail and news.
13685 @subsubsection Function Interface
13687 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13688 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13689 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13690 consider the following mail-source setting:
13693 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13694 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13697 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13698 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13699 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13700 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13701 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13703 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13706 @node Mail Source Customization
13707 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13709 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13710 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13714 @item mail-source-crash-box
13715 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13716 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
13717 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13719 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13720 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13721 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13722 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13723 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13724 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
13725 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13726 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13728 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13729 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13730 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13731 files. This variable only applies when
13732 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13734 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13735 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13736 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13738 @item mail-source-directory
13739 @vindex mail-source-directory
13740 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13741 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13742 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13745 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13746 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13747 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13748 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13749 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13750 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13752 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13753 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13754 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13756 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13757 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13758 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
13759 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13764 @node Fetching Mail
13765 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13767 @vindex mail-sources
13768 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13769 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13770 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13771 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13773 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13774 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13777 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
13778 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
13783 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13784 :password "secret")))
13787 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13791 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13792 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13795 :password "secret")))
13799 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13800 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13801 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13802 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13803 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13804 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13808 @node Mail Back End Variables
13809 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13811 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13815 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13816 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13817 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13818 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13820 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13821 @item nnmail-split-hook
13822 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13823 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
13824 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
13825 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13826 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13827 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13828 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13829 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13830 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13833 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13834 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13835 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13836 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13837 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13838 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13839 starting to handle the new mail) and
13840 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13841 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13842 default file modes the new mail files get:
13845 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13846 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13848 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13849 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13852 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13853 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13854 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13855 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13856 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13857 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13858 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13860 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13861 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13862 @findex delete-file
13863 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13865 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13866 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13867 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13868 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13869 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13871 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13872 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13873 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13874 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13875 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13877 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13878 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13879 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13884 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13885 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13886 @cindex mail splitting
13887 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13889 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13890 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13891 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13892 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13893 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13894 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13896 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13899 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
13900 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
13901 ;; @r{from real errors.}
13902 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13904 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
13905 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
13906 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
13907 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13908 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13909 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
13910 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13911 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13912 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
13913 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
13914 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
13915 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
13916 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13917 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13918 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
13919 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13920 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
13924 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
13925 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
13926 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
13931 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
13932 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
13934 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split})
13935 If the split is a list, the first element of which is a string, then
13936 store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field}
13937 (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict}
13938 (yet another regexp) matches some string after @var{field} and before
13939 the end of the matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If
13940 none of the @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13942 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
13943 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
13944 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
13945 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
13946 stored in one or more groups.
13948 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
13949 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
13950 process all @var{split}s in the list.
13953 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
13954 this message. Use with extreme caution.
13956 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
13957 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
13958 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
13959 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
13962 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13963 body of the messages:
13966 (defun split-on-body ()
13970 (goto-char (point-min))
13971 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13975 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
13976 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
13977 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
13978 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
13979 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
13980 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to t to do that (@pxref{Splitting in
13983 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
13984 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
13985 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
13986 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
13987 should return a split.
13990 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13994 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13995 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13996 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13997 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13998 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
14000 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14001 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14002 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14003 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14004 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14005 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14006 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14010 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14012 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14013 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14015 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14018 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14019 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14020 when all this splitting is performed.
14022 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14023 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14024 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14027 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14030 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14031 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14033 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14034 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14035 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14036 groupings 1 through 9.
14038 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14039 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} controls whether partial
14040 words are matched during fancy splitting.
14042 Normally, regular expressions given in @code{nnmail-split-fancy} are
14043 implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers, which are word
14044 delimiters. If this variable is true, they are not implicitly
14045 surrounded by anything.
14048 (any "joe" "joemail")
14051 In this example, messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will
14052 normally not be filed in @samp{joemail}. With
14053 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} set to t, however, the
14054 match will happen. In effect, the requirement of a word boundary is
14055 removed and instead the match becomes more like a grep.
14057 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14058 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14059 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14060 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14061 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14062 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14063 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14064 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14065 it once per thread.
14067 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14068 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14069 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14070 using the colon feature, like so:
14072 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14073 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14075 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14076 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14080 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14081 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14082 in the file specified by the variable
14083 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14084 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14085 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14086 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14087 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14088 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14089 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14090 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14091 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14092 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14093 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14094 300 kBytes in size.)
14095 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14096 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14097 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14098 messages goes into the new group.
14100 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14101 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14102 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14103 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14104 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14105 ``outgoing'' group.
14108 @node Group Mail Splitting
14109 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14110 @cindex mail splitting
14111 @cindex group mail splitting
14113 @findex gnus-group-split
14114 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14115 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14116 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14117 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14118 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14119 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14120 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14121 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14123 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14124 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14125 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14126 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14128 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14129 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14130 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14131 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14132 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14133 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14134 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14136 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14137 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14138 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14139 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14140 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14141 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14142 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14144 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14145 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14146 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14147 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14148 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14149 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14150 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14151 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14152 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14153 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14154 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14155 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14156 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14158 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14163 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14164 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14166 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14167 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14168 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14169 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14171 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14174 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14175 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14176 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14179 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14180 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14181 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14185 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14186 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14187 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14191 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14194 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14195 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14196 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14197 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14198 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14199 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14200 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14201 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14202 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14204 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14205 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14206 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14207 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14208 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14209 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14210 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14211 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14212 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14214 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14215 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14216 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14217 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14218 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14219 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14222 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14225 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14226 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14227 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14228 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14229 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14232 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14233 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14234 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14235 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14237 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14238 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14239 @cindex incorporating old mail
14240 @cindex import old mail
14242 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14243 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14244 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14247 Doing so can be quite easy.
14249 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14250 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14251 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14252 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14253 your @code{nnml} groups.
14259 Go to the group buffer.
14262 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14263 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14266 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14269 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14270 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14273 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14274 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14277 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14278 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14279 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14280 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14281 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14283 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14284 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14285 using the new mail back end.
14288 @node Expiring Mail
14289 @subsection Expiring Mail
14290 @cindex article expiry
14292 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14293 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14294 different approach to mail reading.
14296 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14297 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14298 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14299 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14300 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14301 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14304 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14305 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14306 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14307 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14308 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14309 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14310 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14311 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14312 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14314 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14315 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14316 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14317 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14318 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14319 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14320 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14323 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14324 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14325 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14326 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14327 into its own group.)
14329 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14330 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14331 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14332 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14333 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14334 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14335 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14336 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14339 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14340 Groups that match the regular expression
14341 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14342 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14343 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14345 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14346 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14347 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14348 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14349 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14351 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14353 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14354 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14355 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14358 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14359 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14360 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14361 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14362 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14364 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14365 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14368 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14369 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14372 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14373 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14375 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14376 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14377 don't really mix very well.
14379 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14380 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14381 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14382 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14385 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14386 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14387 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14388 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14391 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14393 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14395 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14397 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14399 ((string= group "important")
14405 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14406 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14408 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14409 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14410 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14413 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14414 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14416 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14417 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14418 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14419 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14420 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14421 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14422 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14423 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14424 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14425 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14426 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14427 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14428 name or @code{delete}.
14430 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14432 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14435 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14436 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14437 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14438 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14439 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14442 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14443 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14444 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14445 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14446 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14449 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14450 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14451 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14452 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14453 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14454 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14456 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14457 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14458 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14459 easier for procmail users.
14461 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14462 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14463 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14464 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14465 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14466 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14467 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14468 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14469 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14470 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14471 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14472 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14473 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14476 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14478 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14479 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14480 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14481 auto-expire turned on.
14485 @subsection Washing Mail
14486 @cindex mail washing
14487 @cindex list server brain damage
14488 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14490 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14491 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14492 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14493 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14494 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14495 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14497 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14498 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14499 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14502 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14503 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14504 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14505 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14508 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14509 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14510 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14511 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14512 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14515 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14516 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14517 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14518 Emacs running on MS machines.
14522 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14523 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14524 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14525 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14528 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14529 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14530 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14531 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14533 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14534 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14535 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14536 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14537 into a feature by documenting it.)
14539 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14540 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14541 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14542 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14543 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14544 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14545 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14548 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14549 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14552 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14553 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14556 This can also be done non-destructively with
14557 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14559 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14560 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14561 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14563 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14564 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14566 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14567 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14568 @code{References} headers.
14572 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14573 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14574 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14578 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14579 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14580 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14587 @subsection Duplicates
14589 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14590 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14591 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14592 @cindex duplicate mails
14593 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14594 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14595 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14596 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14597 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14598 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14599 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14600 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14601 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14602 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14603 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14604 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14605 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14607 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14608 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14609 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14610 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14612 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14615 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14616 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14620 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14621 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14622 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14623 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14624 (any mail "mail.misc")
14625 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14631 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14632 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14633 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14637 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14638 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14639 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14640 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14641 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14644 @node Not Reading Mail
14645 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14647 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14648 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14649 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14651 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14652 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14653 mail, which should help.
14655 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14656 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14657 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14658 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14659 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14660 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14661 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
14662 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14663 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14664 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14665 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14667 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14668 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14672 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14673 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14675 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14676 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14677 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14679 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14680 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14681 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14685 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14686 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
14687 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14688 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14689 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14690 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14691 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14695 @node Unix Mail Box
14696 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14698 @cindex unix mail box
14700 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14701 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14702 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14703 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14704 which group it belongs in.
14706 Virtual server settings:
14709 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14710 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14711 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14714 @item nnmbox-active-file
14715 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14716 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14717 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14719 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14720 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14721 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14722 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14727 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14731 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14732 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14733 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
14734 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14735 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14737 Virtual server settings:
14740 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14741 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14742 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14744 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14745 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14746 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14747 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14749 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14750 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14751 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14757 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14759 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
14761 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14762 format. It should be used with some caution.
14764 @vindex nnml-directory
14765 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14766 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14767 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14768 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14770 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14773 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14774 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14775 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14776 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14777 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14778 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14779 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14780 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14782 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14783 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14784 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14785 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14787 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14789 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14790 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14791 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14792 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14793 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14794 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14795 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14796 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14799 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14800 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14801 them next time it starts.
14803 Virtual server settings:
14806 @item nnml-directory
14807 @vindex nnml-directory
14808 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14809 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14812 @item nnml-active-file
14813 @vindex nnml-active-file
14814 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14815 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14817 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14818 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14819 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14820 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14822 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14823 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14824 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14827 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14828 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14829 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
14830 default is @code{nil}.
14832 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14833 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14834 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14836 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14837 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14838 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14840 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14841 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14842 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14843 default is @code{nil}.
14845 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14846 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14847 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14849 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14850 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14851 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14856 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14857 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
14858 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14859 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14860 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14861 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14862 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14867 @subsubsection MH Spool
14869 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14871 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14872 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
14873 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
14874 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
14877 Virtual server settings:
14880 @item nnmh-directory
14881 @vindex nnmh-directory
14882 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14883 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14886 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14887 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14888 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14892 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14893 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14894 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
14895 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14896 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14897 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
14898 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14903 @subsubsection Maildir
14907 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
14908 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
14909 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
14910 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
14911 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
14914 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
14915 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
14916 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
14917 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
14918 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
14919 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
14920 that appear as group in Gnus.
14922 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
14923 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
14924 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
14926 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
14927 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
14928 another, and you will keep your marks.
14930 Virtual server settings:
14934 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
14935 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
14936 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
14937 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
14938 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
14939 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
14940 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
14941 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
14942 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
14943 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
14945 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
14946 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
14947 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
14948 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
14949 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
14950 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
14951 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
14952 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
14953 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
14954 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
14957 @item target-prefix
14958 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
14959 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
14960 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
14963 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
14964 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
14965 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
14966 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
14967 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
14968 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
14969 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
14970 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
14971 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
14973 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
14974 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
14975 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
14976 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
14977 symlinks pointing to them will be).
14979 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
14980 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
14981 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
14982 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
14983 @code{force} argument.
14985 @item directory-files
14986 This should be a function with the same interface as
14987 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
14988 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
14989 parameter is optional; the default is
14990 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
14991 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
14992 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
14993 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
14994 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
14995 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
14998 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
14999 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15000 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15001 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15002 value is @code{nil}.
15004 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15005 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15006 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15007 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15008 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15011 @subsubsection Group parameters
15013 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15014 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15015 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15016 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15017 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15018 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15021 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15022 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15023 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15024 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15025 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15026 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15027 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15028 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15029 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15033 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15034 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15035 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15036 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15037 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overrideable by
15038 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
15039 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15040 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15041 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15042 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15043 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15044 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15047 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15049 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15051 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15052 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15053 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15054 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15055 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15056 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15057 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15058 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15059 article. So that form can refer to
15060 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15061 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir} does
15062 not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
15063 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15066 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
15067 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
15068 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
15069 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
15070 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
15071 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
15072 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
15073 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
15074 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
15075 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
15076 contain extra copies of the articles.
15078 @item directory-files
15079 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15080 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15081 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15082 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15084 @item distrust-Lines:
15085 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
15086 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15087 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15090 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
15091 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15092 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
15093 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
15094 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
15095 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15098 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15099 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15100 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
15101 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15102 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15103 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15104 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15106 @item nov-cache-size
15107 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
15108 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
15109 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
15110 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
15111 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
15112 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
15113 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
15114 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
15115 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
15116 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
15117 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15120 @subsubsection Article identification
15121 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15122 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15123 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
15124 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15125 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15126 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15127 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15128 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15129 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15130 request the article in the summary buffer.
15132 @subsubsection NOV data
15133 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
15134 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15135 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15136 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15137 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
15138 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
15139 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
15140 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
15141 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
15142 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
15143 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15145 @subsubsection Article marks
15146 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15147 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15148 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15149 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
15150 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15151 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
15152 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
15153 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15155 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15156 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15157 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15158 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15159 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
15160 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
15161 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
15162 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
15163 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
15167 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15169 @cindex mbox folders
15170 @cindex mail folders
15172 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
15173 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
15174 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
15175 numbers and arrival dates.
15177 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15179 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15180 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15181 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15182 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15183 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15184 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15185 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
15186 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
15187 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
15188 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
15190 Virtual server settings:
15193 @item nnfolder-directory
15194 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15195 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
15196 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
15197 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
15199 @item nnfolder-active-file
15200 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15201 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15203 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15204 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15205 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15206 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15208 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15209 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15210 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
15211 default is @code{t}
15213 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15214 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15215 @cindex backup files
15216 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15217 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
15218 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
15219 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
15222 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15223 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15225 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15228 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15229 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15230 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15231 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15232 extract some information from it before removing it.
15234 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15235 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15236 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15237 default is @code{nil}.
15239 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15240 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15241 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15243 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15244 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15245 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15246 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15248 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15249 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15250 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15251 default is @code{nil}.
15253 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15254 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15255 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15257 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15258 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15259 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15260 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15265 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15266 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15267 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15268 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15269 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15270 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15273 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15274 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15276 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15277 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15278 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15279 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15280 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15282 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15283 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15284 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15285 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15286 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15287 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15288 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15289 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15292 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15293 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15294 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15295 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15300 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15301 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15302 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15303 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15304 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15305 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15306 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15307 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15308 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15309 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15310 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15311 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15312 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15317 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15318 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15319 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15320 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15321 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15322 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15323 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15324 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15325 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15326 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15327 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15328 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15329 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15330 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15332 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15333 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15338 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15339 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15340 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15341 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15342 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15343 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15344 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15345 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15346 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15347 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15348 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15349 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15350 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15351 provided by the active file and overviews.
15353 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15354 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15355 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15356 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15357 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15360 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15361 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15366 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15367 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15368 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15369 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15370 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15371 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15372 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15376 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15377 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15378 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15379 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15380 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15381 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15382 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15383 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15384 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15386 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15387 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15388 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15389 friendly mail back end all over.
15393 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15394 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15397 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15398 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15399 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15400 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15401 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15402 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15403 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15404 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15407 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15408 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15409 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15410 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15411 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15412 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15413 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15414 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15415 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15416 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15417 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15419 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15420 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15421 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15422 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15423 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15426 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15427 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15428 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15429 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15430 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15431 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15432 removed in the future.
15434 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15435 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15436 on your file system.
15438 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15439 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15444 @node Browsing the Web
15445 @section Browsing the Web
15447 @cindex browsing the web
15451 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15452 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15453 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15454 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15455 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15456 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15457 even know what a news group is.
15459 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15460 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15461 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15462 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15463 you mad in the end.
15465 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15468 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15469 interfaces to these sources.
15473 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15474 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15475 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15476 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15477 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15478 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15481 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15483 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15484 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15485 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15486 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15487 though, you should be ok.
15489 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15490 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15491 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15492 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15493 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15495 @node Archiving Mail
15496 @subsection Archiving Mail
15497 @cindex archiving mail
15498 @cindex backup of mail
15500 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15501 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15502 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15503 marks is fairly simple.
15505 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15506 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15509 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15510 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15511 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15512 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15513 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15514 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15515 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15516 before you restore the data.
15518 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15519 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15520 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15521 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15522 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15523 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15524 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15525 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15526 is unnecessary in that case.
15529 @subsection Web Searches
15534 @cindex Usenet searches
15535 @cindex searching the Usenet
15537 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15538 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15539 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15540 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15541 searches without having to use a browser.
15543 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15544 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15545 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15546 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15547 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15549 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15550 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15551 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15552 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15553 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15554 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15555 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15556 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15557 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15558 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15561 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15562 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15563 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
15564 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15565 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15566 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15568 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15569 to use @code{nnweb}.
15571 Virtual server variables:
15576 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15577 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15578 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15581 @vindex nnweb-search
15582 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15584 @item nnweb-max-hits
15585 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15586 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15589 @item nnweb-type-definition
15590 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15591 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15592 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15597 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15601 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15604 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15607 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15611 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15618 @subsection Slashdot
15622 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
15623 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15624 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15626 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15627 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15630 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15631 '((nnslashdot "")))
15634 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15635 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15636 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15637 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15638 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15641 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15642 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15644 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15645 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
15646 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15647 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
15648 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
15649 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15650 @acronym{HTML} forms.
15652 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15655 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15656 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15657 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15658 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15659 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15660 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15661 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15663 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15664 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15665 The login name to use when posting.
15667 @item nnslashdot-password
15668 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15669 The password to use when posting.
15671 @item nnslashdot-directory
15672 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15673 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15674 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15676 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15677 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15678 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
15679 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
15680 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15682 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15683 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15684 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
15686 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15687 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15688 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
15689 article. The default is
15690 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15692 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15693 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15694 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15696 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15697 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15698 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15699 updated. The default is 0.
15706 @subsection Ultimate
15708 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15710 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
15711 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15712 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15713 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15715 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15716 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15717 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
15718 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15719 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15720 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15721 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15723 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15726 @item nnultimate-directory
15727 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15728 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
15729 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15734 @subsection Web Archive
15736 @cindex Web Archive
15738 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15739 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15740 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15741 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15744 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15745 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15746 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15747 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
15748 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
15749 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15750 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15751 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15753 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15756 @item nnwarchive-directory
15757 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15758 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
15759 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15761 @item nnwarchive-login
15762 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15763 The account name on the web server.
15765 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15766 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15767 The password for your account on the web server.
15775 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
15776 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
15777 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
15778 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
15779 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
15781 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
15782 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15784 @kindex G R (Summary)
15785 Use @kbd{G R} from the summary buffer to subscribe to a feed---you
15786 will be prompted for the location of the feed.
15788 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
15789 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET y}, then
15790 subscribe to groups.
15792 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15795 @item nnrss-directory
15796 @vindex nnrss-directory
15797 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15798 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15800 @item nnrss-use-local
15801 @vindex nnrss-use-local
15802 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
15803 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
15804 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
15805 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
15806 download script using @command{wget}.
15809 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15810 the summary buffer.
15813 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15814 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15816 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15818 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15819 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15822 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15825 (require 'browse-url)
15827 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15829 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15832 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15833 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15836 (browse-url (cdr url))
15837 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15838 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15840 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15841 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15842 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15843 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15846 @node Customizing w3
15847 @subsection Customizing w3
15853 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15854 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15855 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15857 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15858 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15859 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15862 (eval-after-load "w3"
15864 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15865 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15866 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15867 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15869 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15872 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15873 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15880 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
15882 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
15883 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
15884 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15885 specify the network address of the server.
15887 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
15888 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
15889 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
15890 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
15891 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
15892 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15894 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
15895 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
15896 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
15897 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
15899 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15900 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15901 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
15902 usage explained in this section.
15904 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
15905 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
15906 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
15910 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15911 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
15912 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
15914 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15915 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15916 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
15918 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15919 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15920 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15921 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
15922 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15923 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15924 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15925 (nnimap-stream network))
15926 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
15928 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15929 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15930 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15933 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15934 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15935 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15936 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15938 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15943 @item nnimap-address
15944 @vindex nnimap-address
15946 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
15947 server name if not specified.
15949 @item nnimap-server-port
15950 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15951 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
15953 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15956 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15957 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15960 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15961 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15962 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15963 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15964 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
15965 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15966 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15968 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15969 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15970 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15973 Example server specification:
15976 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15977 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15978 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15981 @item nnimap-stream
15982 @vindex nnimap-stream
15983 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15984 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15985 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
15986 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
15987 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15989 Example server specification:
15992 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15993 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15996 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
16000 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
16001 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
16003 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
16005 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
16006 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
16009 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
16010 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
16012 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
16013 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
16015 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
16017 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
16020 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
16021 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
16022 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
16023 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
16024 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
16025 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
16026 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
16027 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
16028 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
16031 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
16032 needed. It is available from
16033 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
16035 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
16036 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
16037 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
16038 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
16039 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
16040 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
16041 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
16044 @vindex imap-ssl-program
16045 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
16046 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
16047 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
16048 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
16049 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
16050 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
16053 @vindex imap-shell-program
16054 @vindex imap-shell-host
16055 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
16056 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
16058 @item nnimap-authenticator
16059 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
16061 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
16062 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
16064 Example server specification:
16067 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16068 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
16071 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
16075 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
16076 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
16078 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16081 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16082 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16084 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16086 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16088 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16091 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16093 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16094 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16095 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16096 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16097 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16098 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16101 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16102 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16103 running in circles yet?
16105 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16106 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16109 The possible options are:
16114 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16117 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16118 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16119 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16120 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16122 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16127 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16128 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16130 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16131 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16132 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16133 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16134 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16137 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16138 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16141 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16142 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16143 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16144 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16147 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16148 as ticked for other users.
16150 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16152 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16154 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16155 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16156 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16157 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16159 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16160 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16161 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16162 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16164 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16165 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16167 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16168 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16169 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16172 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16173 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16175 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16176 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16182 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16183 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16184 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16185 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16186 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16187 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
16192 @node Splitting in IMAP
16193 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16194 @cindex splitting imap mail
16196 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16197 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16198 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16199 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16200 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16204 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16205 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16206 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16208 Here are the variables of interest:
16212 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16213 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16215 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16217 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16218 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16219 found will be used.
16221 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16223 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16224 @cindex splitting, inbox
16226 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16228 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16229 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16230 splitting is disabled!
16233 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16234 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16237 No nnmail equivalent.
16239 @item nnimap-split-rule
16240 @cindex splitting, rules
16241 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16243 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16246 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16247 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16248 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16249 Neither did I, we need examples.
16252 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16254 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16255 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16256 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16259 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16260 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16261 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16263 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16264 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16268 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16271 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16272 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16274 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16275 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16276 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16277 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16279 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16280 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16281 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16282 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16283 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16284 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16286 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16287 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16288 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16290 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16291 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16292 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16294 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16296 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16297 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16298 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16301 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16302 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16303 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16304 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16305 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16306 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16309 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16310 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16311 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16312 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16313 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16314 group/function elements.
16316 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16318 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16320 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16322 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16323 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16325 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16326 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16327 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16330 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16331 @cindex splitting, fancy
16332 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16333 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16335 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16336 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16337 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16339 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16340 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16341 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16342 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16347 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16348 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16351 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16353 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16354 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16355 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16357 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16358 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16359 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16360 splitting function that analyses the body to split the article.
16364 @node Expiring in IMAP
16365 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16366 @cindex expiring imap mail
16368 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16369 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16370 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16371 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16372 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16373 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16376 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16377 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16378 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16379 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16380 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16381 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16382 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16383 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16387 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16388 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16390 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16391 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16393 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16395 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16396 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16397 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16398 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16402 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16403 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16404 @cindex editing imap acls
16405 @cindex Access Control Lists
16406 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16407 @kindex G l (Group)
16408 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16410 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16411 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16412 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16415 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16416 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16417 editing window with detailed instructions.
16419 Some possible uses:
16423 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16424 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16425 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16427 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16428 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16429 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16433 @node Expunging mailboxes
16434 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16438 @cindex manual expunging
16439 @kindex G x (Group)
16440 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16442 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16443 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16444 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16446 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16449 @node A note on namespaces
16450 @subsection A note on namespaces
16451 @cindex IMAP namespace
16454 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16455 by the following text in the RFC:
16458 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16460 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16461 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16462 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16463 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16465 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16466 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16467 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16468 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16469 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16470 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16473 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16474 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16475 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16477 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16478 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16479 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16480 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16481 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16482 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16483 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16484 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16487 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16488 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16489 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16491 @node Debugging IMAP
16492 @subsection Debugging IMAP
16493 @cindex IMAP debugging
16494 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
16496 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
16497 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
16498 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behaviour, chances
16499 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
16501 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
16502 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
16503 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
16504 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
16505 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
16506 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
16507 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
16511 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
16512 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
16519 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
16520 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
16521 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
16522 @code{BAD} - but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
16525 @node Other Sources
16526 @section Other Sources
16528 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16529 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16533 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16534 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16535 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16536 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16537 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16541 @node Directory Groups
16542 @subsection Directory Groups
16544 @cindex directory groups
16546 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16547 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16550 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16551 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16552 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16553 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16555 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16556 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16557 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16558 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16559 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16561 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
16563 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16564 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16565 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16566 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16569 @node Anything Groups
16570 @subsection Anything Groups
16573 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16574 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16575 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16578 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16579 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16580 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16581 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16582 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16583 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16584 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16585 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16586 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16587 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16590 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16591 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16592 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16593 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16595 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16596 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16597 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16598 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16600 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16601 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16602 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16603 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16604 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16605 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16606 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16607 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16612 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16613 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16614 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16615 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16617 @item nneething-exclude-files
16618 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16619 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16620 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16622 @item nneething-include-files
16623 @vindex nneething-include-files
16624 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16625 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16627 @item nneething-map-file
16628 @vindex nneething-map-file
16629 Name of the map files.
16633 @node Document Groups
16634 @subsection Document Groups
16636 @cindex documentation group
16639 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16640 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16647 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
16652 The standard Unix mbox file.
16654 @cindex MMDF mail box
16656 The MMDF mail box format.
16659 Several news articles appended into a file.
16662 @cindex rnews batch files
16663 The rnews batch transport format.
16664 @cindex forwarded messages
16667 Forwarded articles.
16670 Netscape mail boxes.
16673 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
16675 @item standard-digest
16676 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16679 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
16681 @item lanl-gov-announce
16682 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16684 @item rfc822-forward
16685 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16688 The Outlook mail box.
16691 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16694 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16697 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16700 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16706 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16709 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16715 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16716 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16717 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16720 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16721 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16722 group. And that's it.
16724 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16725 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16726 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16727 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16728 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16729 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16730 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16731 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16732 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16733 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16735 Virtual server variables:
16738 @item nndoc-article-type
16739 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16740 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16741 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16742 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16743 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16744 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16746 @item nndoc-post-type
16747 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16748 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16749 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16754 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16758 @node Document Server Internals
16759 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16761 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16762 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16763 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16764 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16766 First, here's an example document type definition:
16770 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16771 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16774 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16775 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16776 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16777 types can be defined with very few settings:
16780 @item first-article
16781 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16782 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16785 @item article-begin
16786 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16787 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16789 @item head-begin-function
16790 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16793 @item nndoc-head-begin
16794 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16797 @item nndoc-head-end
16798 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16799 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16801 @item body-begin-function
16802 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16806 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16809 @item body-end-function
16810 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16814 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16817 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16818 regexp will be totally ignored.
16822 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16823 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16824 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16825 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16826 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16829 @item prepare-body-function
16830 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16831 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16832 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16834 @item article-transform-function
16835 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16836 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16837 body of the article.
16839 @item generate-head-function
16840 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16841 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16842 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16843 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16847 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16852 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16853 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16854 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16855 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16856 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16857 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16858 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16859 (subtype digest guess))
16862 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16863 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16864 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16865 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16866 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16868 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16869 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
16870 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
16871 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
16872 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
16873 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
16874 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
16875 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
16876 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
16877 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
16878 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
16879 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16887 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16888 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16889 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16891 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16892 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16893 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16896 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16897 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16898 that interested in doing things properly.
16900 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16901 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16904 First some terminology:
16909 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16910 get news and/or mail from.
16913 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16914 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16917 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16921 @item message packets
16922 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16923 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16924 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16926 @item response packets
16927 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16928 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16929 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16939 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16940 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16941 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16942 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16945 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16948 You put the packet in your home directory.
16951 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16952 the native or secondary server.
16955 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16956 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16959 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16963 You transfer this packet to the server.
16966 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16969 You then repeat until you die.
16973 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16974 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16977 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16978 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16979 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16983 @node SOUP Commands
16984 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16986 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16990 @kindex G s b (Group)
16991 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16992 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16993 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16994 process/prefix convention.
16997 @kindex G s w (Group)
16998 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16999 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
17002 @kindex G s s (Group)
17003 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
17004 Send all replies from the replies packet
17005 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
17008 @kindex G s p (Group)
17009 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
17010 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
17013 @kindex G s r (Group)
17014 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
17015 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
17018 @kindex O s (Summary)
17019 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
17020 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
17021 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
17022 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17027 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
17032 @item gnus-soup-directory
17033 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
17034 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
17035 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
17037 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
17038 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
17039 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
17040 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
17042 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
17043 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
17044 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
17045 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
17047 @item gnus-soup-packer
17048 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
17049 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17050 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
17052 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
17053 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
17054 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17055 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17057 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
17058 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
17059 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
17061 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17062 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17063 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
17064 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
17070 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
17073 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
17074 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
17075 you can read them at leisure.
17077 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
17081 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
17082 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
17083 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
17084 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
17086 @item nnsoup-directory
17087 @vindex nnsoup-directory
17088 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
17089 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
17091 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
17092 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
17093 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
17094 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
17096 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
17097 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
17098 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
17099 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
17100 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
17102 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
17103 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
17104 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
17105 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
17107 @item nnsoup-active-file
17108 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
17109 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
17110 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
17111 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
17112 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
17114 @item nnsoup-packer
17115 @vindex nnsoup-packer
17116 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
17117 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
17119 @item nnsoup-unpacker
17120 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
17121 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
17122 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17124 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17125 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17126 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17129 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17130 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17131 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17134 @item nnsoup-always-save
17135 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17136 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17142 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17144 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17145 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17146 more for that to happen.
17148 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17149 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17150 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17153 In specific, this is what it does:
17156 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17157 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17160 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17161 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17162 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17165 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17166 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17167 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17170 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17171 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17172 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17174 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17180 @item nngateway-address
17181 @vindex nngateway-address
17182 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17184 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17185 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17186 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17187 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17188 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17189 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17190 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17193 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17194 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17195 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17198 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17201 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17204 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17207 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17209 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17212 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17213 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17214 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17216 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17218 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17219 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17220 @code{nngateway-address}.
17228 (setq gnus-post-method
17230 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17231 (nngateway-header-transformation
17232 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17235 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17238 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17243 @node Combined Groups
17244 @section Combined Groups
17246 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17250 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17251 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17255 @node Virtual Groups
17256 @subsection Virtual Groups
17258 @cindex virtual groups
17259 @cindex merging groups
17261 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17264 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17265 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17266 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17268 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17269 regexp to match component groups.
17271 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17272 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17273 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17274 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17275 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17276 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17277 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17278 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17280 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17281 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17284 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17287 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17288 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17290 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17291 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17292 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17293 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17296 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17299 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17300 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17301 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17303 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17304 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17305 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17306 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17307 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17309 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17310 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17311 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17313 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17314 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17315 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17316 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17317 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17318 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17319 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17320 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17321 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17322 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17323 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17325 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17326 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17327 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17328 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17329 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17330 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17331 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17333 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17334 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17336 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17337 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17341 @node Kibozed Groups
17342 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17346 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17347 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17348 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17349 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17351 @kindex G k (Group)
17352 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17355 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17356 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17357 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17358 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17360 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17361 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17362 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17364 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17365 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17366 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17367 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17368 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17369 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17370 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17371 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17373 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17374 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17375 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17376 Stranger things have happened.
17378 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17379 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17381 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17382 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17383 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17384 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17385 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17386 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17387 component articles.
17389 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17390 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17393 @node Gnus Unplugged
17394 @section Gnus Unplugged
17399 @cindex Gnus unplugged
17401 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
17402 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
17403 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
17404 read news. Believe it or not.
17406 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
17407 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
17408 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
17409 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
17410 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
17412 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
17413 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
17414 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
17415 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
17416 reading news on a machine.
17418 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
17419 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
17421 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
17424 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
17425 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
17426 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
17427 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
17428 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
17429 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
17430 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
17431 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
17432 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
17433 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
17434 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
17435 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17436 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17441 @subsection Agent Basics
17443 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17445 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17446 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17447 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17448 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17450 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17451 connected to the net continuously.
17453 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17454 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17456 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
17457 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
17458 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
17459 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
17460 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
17462 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
17463 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
17464 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
17465 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
17466 they're kinda like plugged always).
17468 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
17469 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
17470 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
17473 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
17474 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
17475 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
17476 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
17477 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
17479 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17484 @findex gnus-unplugged
17485 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17486 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17487 already fetched while in this mode.
17490 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17491 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17492 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17493 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
17494 Source Specifiers}).
17497 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
17498 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
17499 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
17500 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
17501 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
17504 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17505 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17506 then you read the news offline.
17509 And then you go to step 2.
17512 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17518 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17519 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17520 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17521 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17522 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17523 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17524 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17525 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17528 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17529 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17530 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17531 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
17533 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17534 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17535 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17536 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17537 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17538 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17542 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17546 @node Agent Categories
17547 @subsection Agent Categories
17549 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17550 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17551 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17552 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17553 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17554 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17555 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17557 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17558 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17559 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17560 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17561 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17563 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17564 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17565 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17566 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17567 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17570 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17571 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17572 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17573 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17574 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17575 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17579 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17580 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17581 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17585 @node Category Syntax
17586 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17588 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17589 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17590 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17593 @cindex Agent Parameters
17595 @item gnus-agent-cat-name
17596 The name of the category.
17598 @item gnus-agent-cat-groups
17599 The list of groups that are in this category.
17601 @item gnus-agent-cat-predicate
17602 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17603 are eligible for downloading; and
17605 @item gnus-agent-cat-score-file
17606 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17607 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17608 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17610 @item gnus-agent-cat-enable-expiration
17611 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17612 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17613 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17614 only groups that should not be expired.
17616 @item gnus-agent-cat-days-until-old
17617 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17618 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17620 @item gnus-agent-cat-low-score
17621 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17623 @item gnus-agent-cat-high-score
17624 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17626 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-short
17627 an integer that overrides the value of
17628 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17630 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-long
17631 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17633 @c @item gnus-agent-cat-disable-undownloaded-faces
17634 @c a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should @emph{not} display
17635 @c undownloaded articles using the gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face
17636 @c faces. The symbol nil will enable the use of undownloaded faces while
17637 @c all other symbols disable them.
17639 @item gnus-agent-cat-enable-undownloaded-faces
17640 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
17641 undownloaded articles using the gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face
17642 faces. The symbol nil will disable the use of undownloaded faces while
17643 all other symbols enable them.
17646 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17649 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17650 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17651 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17654 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17655 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17656 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17657 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17659 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17660 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17661 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17663 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17664 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17665 operators sprinkled in between.
17667 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17669 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17670 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17676 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17677 short (for some value of ``short'').
17679 Here's a more complex predicate:
17688 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17689 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17692 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17693 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17694 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17696 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17697 you want to do, you can write your own.
17699 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17700 bound to the value determined by calling
17701 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17702 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17703 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17704 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17705 predicate to individual groups.
17709 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17710 lines; default 100.
17713 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17714 lines; default 200.
17717 True iff the article has a download score less than
17718 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17721 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17722 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17725 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17726 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17727 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17736 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17737 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17738 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17741 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17742 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17743 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17744 something along the lines of the following:
17747 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17748 "Say whether an article is old."
17749 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17750 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17753 with the predicate then defined as:
17756 (not my-article-old-p)
17759 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17760 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17764 (require 'gnus-agent)
17765 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17766 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17767 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17770 and simply specify your predicate as:
17776 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17777 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17778 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17779 just don't give a damn.
17781 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17782 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17783 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17784 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
17785 parameters like so:
17788 (agent-predicate . short)
17791 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17792 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17793 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17795 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17798 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17801 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17802 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17803 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17806 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17807 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17808 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17809 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17810 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17811 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17813 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17814 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17815 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17816 if it's to be specific to that group.
17818 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17825 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
17826 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
17832 Category specification
17836 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17842 Group/Topic Parameter specification
17845 (agent-score ("from"
17846 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17851 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
17857 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
17858 keywords stated above.
17864 Category specification
17867 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
17873 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
17877 Group Parameter specification
17880 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17883 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17888 Use @code{normal} score files
17890 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17891 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17892 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17893 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17895 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17896 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17897 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
17898 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17902 Category Specification
17909 Group Parameter specification
17912 (agent-score . file)
17917 @node Category Buffer
17918 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17920 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17921 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17922 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17924 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17928 @kindex q (Category)
17929 @findex gnus-category-exit
17930 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17933 @kindex e (Category)
17934 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
17935 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
17936 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
17939 @kindex k (Category)
17940 @findex gnus-category-kill
17941 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17944 @kindex c (Category)
17945 @findex gnus-category-copy
17946 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17949 @kindex a (Category)
17950 @findex gnus-category-add
17951 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17954 @kindex p (Category)
17955 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17956 Edit the predicate of the current category
17957 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17960 @kindex g (Category)
17961 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17962 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17963 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17966 @kindex s (Category)
17967 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17968 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17969 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17972 @kindex l (Category)
17973 @findex gnus-category-list
17974 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17978 @node Category Variables
17979 @subsubsection Category Variables
17982 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17983 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17984 Hook run in category buffers.
17986 @item gnus-category-line-format
17987 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17988 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17989 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17993 The name of the category.
17996 The number of groups in the category.
17999 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
18000 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
18001 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
18003 @item gnus-agent-short-article
18004 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
18005 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
18007 @item gnus-agent-long-article
18008 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
18009 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
18011 @item gnus-agent-low-score
18012 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
18013 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
18016 @item gnus-agent-high-score
18017 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
18018 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
18021 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
18022 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18023 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
18024 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
18025 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
18026 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
18027 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
18028 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18032 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18033 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18034 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18035 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18036 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18037 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18038 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18043 @node Agent Commands
18044 @subsection Agent Commands
18045 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18046 @kindex J j (Agent)
18048 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18049 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18050 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18054 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18055 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18056 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
18062 @node Group Agent Commands
18063 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
18067 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
18068 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
18069 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
18070 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
18073 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
18074 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
18075 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
18078 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
18079 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
18080 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
18081 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
18084 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
18085 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
18086 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
18087 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
18090 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
18091 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
18092 Add the current group to an Agent category
18093 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
18094 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18097 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
18098 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
18099 Remove the current group from its category, if any
18100 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
18101 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18104 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
18105 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18106 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
18112 @node Summary Agent Commands
18113 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
18117 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
18118 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
18119 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
18122 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
18123 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
18124 Remove the downloading mark from the article
18125 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
18129 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
18130 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
18131 Toggle whether to download the article
18132 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
18136 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18137 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18138 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
18141 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
18142 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18143 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18144 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18147 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18148 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
18149 Download all processable articles in this group.
18150 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
18153 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18154 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18155 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18156 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18161 @node Server Agent Commands
18162 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
18166 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
18167 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
18168 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
18169 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
18172 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
18173 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
18174 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
18175 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
18180 @node Agent Visuals
18181 @subsection Agent Visuals
18183 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
18184 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
18185 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
18186 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
18187 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
18188 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
18189 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
18190 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
18191 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
18192 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
18194 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
18195 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
18196 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
18197 way, "If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
18198 less than satisfying unplugged session". For this reason, the Agent
18199 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
18200 the download status of each article so that you always know which
18201 articles will be available when unplugged.
18203 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
18204 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
18205 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
18206 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
18207 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
18208 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
18209 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
18210 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
18212 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
18213 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
18214 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
18215 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
18216 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
18217 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
18218 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
18219 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
18220 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
18222 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
18223 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
18224 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
18225 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
18226 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear.
18228 For occasional Agent users, the undownloaded faces may appear to be an
18229 absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since most of their
18230 articles have not been fetched into the Agent, most of the normal
18231 faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces. If this is your
18232 situation, you have two choices available. First, you can completely
18233 disable the undownload faces by customizing
18234 @code{gnus-summary-highlight} to delete the three cons-cells that
18235 refer to the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face} faces. Second, if
18236 you prefer to take a more fine-grained approach, you may set the
18237 @code{agent-disable-undownloaded-faces} group parameter to t. This
18238 parameter, like all other agent parameters, may be set on an Agent
18239 Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}), a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic
18240 Parameters}), or an individual group (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18242 @node Agent as Cache
18243 @subsection Agent as Cache
18245 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
18246 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
18247 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
18248 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
18249 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
18250 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
18251 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
18252 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
18253 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
18255 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
18256 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
18257 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
18258 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
18259 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
18262 @subsection Agent Expiry
18264 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18265 @findex gnus-agent-expire
18266 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
18267 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
18268 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
18269 @cindex agent expiry
18270 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
18273 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
18274 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
18275 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
18276 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
18277 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
18278 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
18279 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
18280 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
18282 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
18283 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
18284 synchronized with the group.
18286 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
18287 prevent expiration in selected groups.
18289 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
18290 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
18291 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
18292 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
18293 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
18294 be kept indefinitely.
18296 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
18297 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
18298 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
18299 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
18301 @node Agent Regeneration
18302 @subsection Agent Regeneration
18304 @cindex agent regeneration
18305 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
18306 @cindex regeneration
18308 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
18309 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
18310 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
18311 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
18312 internal inconsistencies.
18314 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
18315 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
18316 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
18317 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
18318 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
18319 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
18321 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
18322 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
18323 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
18324 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
18325 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
18326 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
18328 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18329 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18330 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
18331 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
18332 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
18333 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
18336 @node Agent and IMAP
18337 @subsection Agent and IMAP
18339 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
18340 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
18341 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
18342 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
18344 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
18345 are kept on the @acronym{IMAP} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
18346 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
18347 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
18349 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
18350 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
18351 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
18352 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
18354 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18355 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
18356 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
18357 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
18358 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
18359 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
18361 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
18362 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
18363 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
18364 in the group buffer.
18366 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
18367 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
18372 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
18375 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
18379 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
18380 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
18381 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
18382 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group and
18383 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
18384 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
18385 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
18386 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
18389 @node Outgoing Messages
18390 @subsection Outgoing Messages
18392 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
18393 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
18394 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
18396 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
18397 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
18398 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
18399 messages in the draft group.
18403 @node Agent Variables
18404 @subsection Agent Variables
18407 @item gnus-agent-directory
18408 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
18409 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
18410 @file{~/News/agent/}.
18412 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
18413 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
18414 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
18415 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
18416 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
18419 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18420 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18421 Hook run when connecting to the network.
18423 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18424 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18425 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
18427 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18428 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18429 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
18431 @item gnus-agent-cache
18432 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
18433 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
18434 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
18435 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
18437 @item gnus-agent-go-online
18438 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
18439 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
18440 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
18441 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
18442 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
18443 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
18446 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18447 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18448 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
18449 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
18450 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
18451 read. The default is t.
18453 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18454 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18455 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
18456 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
18457 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
18458 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
18459 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
18460 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
18461 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
18462 over and over again.
18464 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18465 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18466 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
18467 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
18468 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
18469 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
18470 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
18471 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
18472 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
18473 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
18474 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
18475 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
18478 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
18479 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
18480 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
18481 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
18482 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
18483 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
18484 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
18485 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
18486 is only valid if the Agent is used.
18488 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18489 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18490 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
18491 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
18492 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
18493 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
18495 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
18496 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
18497 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
18498 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
18499 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
18501 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
18502 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
18503 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
18504 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
18505 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
18506 which backends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
18507 to agentize remote backends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
18508 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
18509 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
18510 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
18511 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
18516 @node Example Setup
18517 @subsection Example Setup
18519 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
18520 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
18521 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
18524 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
18525 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
18526 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
18528 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
18529 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
18530 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
18532 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
18533 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
18535 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
18536 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
18537 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
18540 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
18541 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
18544 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
18545 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
18546 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
18547 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
18548 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18551 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18552 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18553 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18554 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18555 back all the killed groups.)
18557 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18558 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18559 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18562 @node Batching Agents
18563 @subsection Batching Agents
18564 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18566 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18567 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18568 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18570 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18571 following incantation:
18575 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18579 @node Agent Caveats
18580 @subsection Agent Caveats
18582 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18583 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18587 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18589 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18590 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18591 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18593 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18594 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18596 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18600 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18601 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18602 locally stored articles.
18609 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18610 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18611 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18614 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18615 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18616 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18617 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18618 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18620 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18621 before generating the summary buffer.
18623 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18624 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18625 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18627 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18628 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18629 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18630 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18633 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18634 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18635 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18636 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18637 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18638 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18639 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18640 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18641 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18642 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18643 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18644 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18645 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18646 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18647 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
18648 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18649 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18653 @node Summary Score Commands
18654 @section Summary Score Commands
18655 @cindex score commands
18657 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18658 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18659 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18660 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18661 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18663 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18664 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18665 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18666 score file the current one.
18668 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18673 @kindex V s (Summary)
18674 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18675 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18678 @kindex V S (Summary)
18679 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18680 Display the score of the current article
18681 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
18684 @kindex V t (Summary)
18685 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
18686 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
18687 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
18688 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
18689 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
18690 score file and edit it.
18693 @kindex V w (Summary)
18694 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
18695 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
18698 @kindex V R (Summary)
18699 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
18700 Run the current summary through the scoring process
18701 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
18702 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
18703 effect you're having.
18706 @kindex V c (Summary)
18707 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
18708 Make a different score file the current
18709 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
18712 @kindex V e (Summary)
18713 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
18714 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
18715 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
18719 @kindex V f (Summary)
18720 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
18721 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
18722 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
18725 @kindex V F (Summary)
18726 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18727 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
18728 after editing score files.
18731 @kindex V C (Summary)
18732 @findex gnus-score-customize
18733 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18734 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18738 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18743 @kindex V m (Summary)
18744 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18745 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18746 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18749 @kindex V x (Summary)
18750 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18751 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18752 expunge all articles below this score
18753 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18756 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18757 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18760 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18761 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18765 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18766 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18768 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18769 keys are available:
18773 Score on the author name.
18776 Score on the subject line.
18779 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18782 Score on the @code{References} line.
18788 Score on the number of lines.
18791 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
18794 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
18795 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
18798 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
18799 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
18800 @file{ADAPT} files.)
18809 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
18815 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
18816 what headers you are scoring on.
18828 Substring matching.
18831 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
18860 Greater than number.
18865 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
18866 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
18867 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
18872 Temporary score entry.
18875 Permanent score entry.
18878 Immediately scoring.
18882 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
18883 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
18884 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
18888 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
18889 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
18890 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
18891 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
18893 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
18894 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
18895 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
18896 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
18897 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
18899 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
18900 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
18901 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
18902 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
18903 current score file.
18905 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
18906 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
18907 pretend they are keymaps or not.
18910 @node Group Score Commands
18911 @section Group Score Commands
18912 @cindex group score commands
18914 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
18919 @kindex W f (Group)
18920 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18921 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
18922 all the time. This command will flush the cache
18923 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
18927 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
18929 @findex gnus-batch-score
18930 @cindex batch scoring
18932 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
18936 @node Score Variables
18937 @section Score Variables
18938 @cindex score variables
18942 @item gnus-use-scoring
18943 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
18944 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
18945 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
18947 @item gnus-kill-killed
18948 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
18949 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
18950 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
18951 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
18952 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
18953 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
18954 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
18956 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
18957 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
18958 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
18959 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
18960 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
18962 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
18963 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
18964 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
18965 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
18967 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18968 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18969 @cindex score cache
18970 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
18971 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
18972 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
18973 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
18974 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
18975 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
18976 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
18979 @item gnus-save-score
18980 @vindex gnus-save-score
18981 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
18982 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
18983 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
18985 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
18986 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
18987 across group visits.
18989 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18990 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18991 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
18992 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
18993 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
18994 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
18995 manually entered data.
18997 @item gnus-summary-default-score
18998 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
18999 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
19001 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
19002 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
19003 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
19004 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
19005 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
19006 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
19008 @item gnus-score-over-mark
19009 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
19010 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
19011 default. Default is @samp{+}.
19013 @item gnus-score-below-mark
19014 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
19015 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
19016 default. Default is @samp{-}.
19018 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19019 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19020 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
19021 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
19023 Predefined functions available are:
19026 @item gnus-score-find-single
19027 @findex gnus-score-find-single
19028 Only apply the group's own score file.
19030 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
19031 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
19032 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
19033 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
19034 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
19035 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
19036 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
19037 then a regexp match is done.
19039 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
19040 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
19042 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
19043 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
19044 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
19045 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
19047 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19048 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19049 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
19050 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
19051 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
19055 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
19056 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
19057 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
19058 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
19059 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
19060 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
19061 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
19064 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
19065 overall score file, you could use the value
19067 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
19068 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
19071 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
19072 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
19073 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
19074 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
19075 are expired. It's 7 by default.
19077 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19078 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19079 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
19080 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
19081 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
19082 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
19083 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
19084 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
19086 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19087 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19088 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
19090 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
19091 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
19092 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
19093 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
19094 threading---according to the current value of
19095 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
19096 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
19097 simplified in this manner.
19102 @node Score File Format
19103 @section Score File Format
19104 @cindex score file format
19106 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
19107 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
19108 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
19110 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
19114 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
19116 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
19118 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
19120 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
19125 (mark-and-expunge -10)
19129 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
19130 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
19131 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
19132 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
19136 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
19137 Scoring}, for a different approach.
19139 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
19140 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
19141 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
19143 Six keys are supported by this alist:
19148 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
19149 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
19150 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
19151 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
19152 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
19153 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
19154 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
19155 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
19156 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
19157 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
19158 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
19159 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
19160 to articles that matches these score entries.
19162 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
19163 score entry has one to four elements.
19167 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
19168 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
19172 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
19173 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
19174 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
19175 is successful. If this element is not present, the
19176 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
19177 instead. This is 1000 by default.
19180 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
19181 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
19182 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
19183 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
19184 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
19187 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
19188 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
19189 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
19190 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
19193 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
19194 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
19195 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
19196 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
19197 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
19198 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
19199 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
19200 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
19201 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
19202 instead, if you feel like.
19205 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
19206 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
19207 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
19208 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
19209 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
19210 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
19214 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
19215 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
19219 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
19220 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
19222 These predicates are true if
19225 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
19228 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
19229 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
19236 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
19237 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
19238 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
19239 it's not. I think.)
19241 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
19242 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
19243 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
19244 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
19247 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
19248 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
19249 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
19250 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
19251 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
19252 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
19253 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
19257 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
19258 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
19259 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
19260 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
19261 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
19262 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
19263 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
19264 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
19267 @item Head, Body, All
19268 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
19272 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
19273 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
19274 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
19275 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
19276 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
19277 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
19278 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
19282 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
19283 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
19284 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
19285 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
19286 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
19287 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
19288 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
19289 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
19290 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
19291 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
19292 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
19296 @cindex score file atoms
19298 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19299 lower than this number will be marked as read.
19302 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19303 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
19305 @item mark-and-expunge
19306 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19307 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
19310 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
19311 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
19312 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
19313 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
19314 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
19317 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
19318 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
19321 @item exclude-files
19322 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
19323 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
19327 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
19328 ignored when handling global score files.
19331 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
19332 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
19333 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
19334 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
19337 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
19338 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
19339 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
19340 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
19342 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
19346 (mark-and-expunge -100)
19349 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
19350 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
19351 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
19352 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
19353 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
19355 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
19356 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
19357 scoring rules exist.
19360 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
19361 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
19362 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
19363 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
19364 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
19365 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
19366 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19367 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
19368 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
19369 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
19370 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
19374 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
19375 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
19376 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
19377 file for a number of groups.
19380 @cindex local variables
19381 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
19382 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
19383 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
19384 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
19385 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
19390 @node Score File Editing
19391 @section Score File Editing
19393 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
19394 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
19395 with a mode for that.
19397 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
19398 additional commands:
19403 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
19404 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
19405 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
19406 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
19409 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
19410 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
19411 Insert the current date in numerical format
19412 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
19413 you were wondering.
19416 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
19417 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
19418 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
19419 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
19420 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
19425 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
19427 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
19428 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
19430 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
19431 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
19434 @node Adaptive Scoring
19435 @section Adaptive Scoring
19436 @cindex adaptive scoring
19438 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
19439 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
19440 stupidity, to be precise.
19442 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
19443 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
19444 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
19445 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
19446 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19447 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
19448 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
19449 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
19450 variable to @code{(word line)}.
19452 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19453 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
19454 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
19455 might look something like this:
19458 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19459 '((gnus-unread-mark)
19460 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
19461 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
19462 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
19463 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
19464 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
19465 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
19466 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
19467 (gnus-ancient-mark)
19468 (gnus-low-score-mark)
19469 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
19472 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
19473 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
19474 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
19475 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
19476 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
19477 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
19480 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
19481 will be applied to each article.
19483 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
19484 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
19485 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
19486 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
19488 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
19489 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
19490 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
19491 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
19493 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
19494 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
19495 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
19496 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
19498 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
19499 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
19500 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
19501 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
19502 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
19503 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
19505 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
19506 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
19507 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
19509 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
19510 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
19511 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
19513 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
19514 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
19515 let you use different rules in different groups.
19517 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
19518 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
19519 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
19522 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
19523 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
19524 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
19525 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
19526 the length of the match is less than
19527 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
19528 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
19531 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19532 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
19533 headers. If you adapt on words, the
19534 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
19535 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
19538 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19539 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
19540 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
19541 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
19542 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
19545 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
19546 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
19547 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
19548 score with 30 points.
19550 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
19551 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
19552 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
19553 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
19554 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19556 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19557 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19558 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19559 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19560 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19562 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19563 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19564 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19565 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19567 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19568 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19569 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19570 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19572 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19573 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19574 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19575 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19576 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19578 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19579 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19580 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19582 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19583 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19584 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19585 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19588 @node Home Score File
19589 @section Home Score File
19591 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19592 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19593 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19594 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19596 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19597 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19598 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19600 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19601 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19606 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19610 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19611 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19615 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19619 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19620 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19623 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
19624 be used as the home score file.
19627 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19630 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19635 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19638 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19639 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19642 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19643 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19645 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19647 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19648 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19651 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19652 Other functions include
19655 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19656 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19657 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19658 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19662 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19663 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19664 their own home score files:
19667 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19668 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
19669 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19670 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
19671 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
19674 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
19675 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
19676 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
19677 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
19678 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
19680 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
19681 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
19682 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
19683 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
19684 precedence over this variable.
19687 @node Followups To Yourself
19688 @section Followups To Yourself
19690 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
19691 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
19692 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
19693 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
19694 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
19695 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
19699 @item gnus-score-followup-article
19700 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
19701 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
19704 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
19705 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
19706 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
19710 @vindex message-sent-hook
19711 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
19712 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
19714 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
19718 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
19719 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
19723 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19724 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19727 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
19728 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19733 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19737 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19738 is system-dependent.
19741 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19742 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19743 @cindex scoring on other headers
19745 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19746 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19747 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19748 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19749 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19751 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19752 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
19753 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
19754 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
19755 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19757 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
19760 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19761 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19764 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19765 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19766 time if you have much mail.
19768 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19769 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19775 @section Scoring Tips
19776 @cindex scoring tips
19782 @cindex scoring crossposts
19783 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19784 the @code{Xref} header.
19786 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
19789 @item Multiple crossposts
19790 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
19791 more than, say, 3 groups:
19794 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
19798 @item Matching on the body
19799 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
19800 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
19801 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
19802 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
19803 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
19804 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
19805 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
19808 @item Marking as read
19809 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
19810 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
19811 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
19815 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
19817 @item Negated character classes
19818 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
19819 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
19820 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
19824 @node Reverse Scoring
19825 @section Reverse Scoring
19826 @cindex reverse scoring
19828 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
19829 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
19830 like this in your score file:
19834 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
19839 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
19840 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
19843 @node Global Score Files
19844 @section Global Score Files
19845 @cindex global score files
19847 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
19848 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
19849 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
19851 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
19852 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
19853 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
19855 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
19856 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
19857 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
19858 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
19859 files are applicable to which group.
19861 To use the score file
19862 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
19863 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
19867 (setq gnus-global-score-files
19868 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
19869 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
19872 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
19874 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
19875 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
19876 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
19877 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
19879 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
19880 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
19882 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
19883 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
19884 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
19885 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
19886 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
19887 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
19889 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
19895 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
19897 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
19899 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
19901 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
19902 lowered out of existence.
19904 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
19905 articles completely.
19908 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
19909 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
19910 old articles for a long time.
19913 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
19914 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
19915 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
19916 holding our breath yet?
19920 @section Kill Files
19923 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
19924 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
19925 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
19927 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
19928 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
19929 files into score files.
19931 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
19932 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
19933 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
19934 that isn't a very good idea.
19936 Normal kill files look like this:
19939 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19940 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
19944 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
19945 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
19947 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
19948 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
19951 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
19956 @kindex M-k (Summary)
19957 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
19958 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
19961 @kindex M-K (Summary)
19962 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
19963 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
19966 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
19971 @kindex M-k (Group)
19972 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
19973 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
19976 @kindex M-K (Group)
19977 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
19978 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
19981 Kill file variables:
19984 @item gnus-kill-file-name
19985 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
19986 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
19987 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
19988 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
19989 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
19990 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
19992 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19993 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19994 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
19995 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
19998 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
19999 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
20000 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
20001 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
20002 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
20003 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
20004 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
20005 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
20006 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
20008 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20009 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20010 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
20015 @node Converting Kill Files
20016 @section Converting Kill Files
20018 @cindex converting kill files
20020 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
20021 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
20022 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
20025 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
20026 You can fetch it from
20027 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
20029 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
20030 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
20031 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
20039 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
20040 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
20042 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/, GroupLens} is a
20043 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
20044 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
20045 news articles generated every day.
20047 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
20048 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
20049 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
20050 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
20051 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
20052 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
20053 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
20054 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
20058 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
20059 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
20060 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
20061 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
20065 @node Using GroupLens
20066 @subsection Using GroupLens
20068 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local
20069 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html, Better Bit
20070 Bureau (BBB)} is the only better bit in town at the moment.
20072 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
20076 @item gnus-use-grouplens
20077 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
20078 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
20079 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
20081 @item grouplens-pseudonym
20082 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
20083 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
20084 with the Better Bit Bureau.
20086 @item grouplens-newsgroups
20087 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
20088 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
20092 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
20093 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
20094 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
20095 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
20096 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
20097 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
20100 @node Rating Articles
20101 @subsection Rating Articles
20103 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
20104 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
20105 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
20106 yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
20109 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
20114 @kindex r (GroupLens)
20115 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
20116 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
20119 @kindex k (GroupLens)
20120 @findex grouplens-score-thread
20121 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
20122 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
20123 threads in rec.humor.
20127 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
20128 the score of the article you're reading.
20133 @kindex n (GroupLens)
20134 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
20135 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
20138 @kindex , (GroupLens)
20139 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
20140 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
20144 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
20145 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
20148 @node Displaying Predictions
20149 @subsection Displaying Predictions
20151 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
20152 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
20153 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
20154 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
20155 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
20157 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
20158 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
20159 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
20160 regular Gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
20161 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
20162 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
20163 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
20164 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
20165 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
20166 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
20167 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
20168 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
20169 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
20171 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
20172 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
20173 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
20174 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
20176 The following are valid values for that variable.
20179 @item prediction-spot
20180 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
20183 @item confidence-interval
20184 A numeric confidence interval.
20186 @item prediction-bar
20187 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
20189 @item confidence-bar
20190 Numerical confidence.
20192 @item confidence-spot
20193 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
20195 @item prediction-num
20196 Plain-old numeric value.
20198 @item confidence-plus-minus
20199 Prediction +/- confidence.
20204 @node GroupLens Variables
20205 @subsection GroupLens Variables
20209 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
20210 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
20211 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
20212 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
20215 @item grouplens-bbb-host
20216 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
20219 @item grouplens-bbb-port
20220 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
20222 @item grouplens-score-offset
20223 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
20224 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
20227 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
20228 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
20229 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
20234 @node Advanced Scoring
20235 @section Advanced Scoring
20237 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20238 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20239 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20240 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20241 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20243 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20247 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20248 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20249 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20253 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20254 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20256 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20257 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20258 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20259 non-@code{nil} value.
20261 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20262 operator, and various match operators.
20269 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20270 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20271 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20276 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20277 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20278 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20283 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20284 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20288 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20289 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20290 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20291 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20292 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20293 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20294 the ancestry you want to go.
20296 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20297 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20298 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20299 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20300 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20303 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20304 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20306 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20307 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20310 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20311 when he's talking about Gnus:
20316 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20317 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20324 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20328 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20335 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20336 really don't want to read what he's written:
20340 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20341 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
20345 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20346 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20347 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20354 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20355 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20356 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20357 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20361 The possibilities are endless.
20364 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20365 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20367 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20368 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20369 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20370 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20371 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20372 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20373 @samp{subject}) first.
20375 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20376 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20387 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20388 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20394 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20401 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20402 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20407 @section Score Decays
20408 @cindex score decays
20411 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20412 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20413 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20414 use them in any sensible way.
20416 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20417 @findex gnus-decay-score
20418 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20419 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20420 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20421 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20422 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20423 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
20424 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
20425 definition of that function:
20428 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20429 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20430 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20432 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
20434 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20436 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20437 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
20438 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
20439 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
20440 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
20442 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
20446 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20447 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20448 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20449 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20453 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20456 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20459 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20463 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20464 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20465 the new score, which should be an integer.
20467 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20468 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20473 @include message.texi
20474 @chapter Emacs MIME
20475 @include emacs-mime.texi
20477 @include sieve.texi
20479 @c @include pgg.texi
20487 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
20488 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
20489 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
20490 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
20491 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
20492 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
20493 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
20494 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
20495 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
20496 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
20497 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
20498 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
20499 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
20500 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
20501 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
20502 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
20503 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
20504 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
20505 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
20506 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
20510 @node Process/Prefix
20511 @section Process/Prefix
20512 @cindex process/prefix convention
20514 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
20515 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
20517 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
20518 command to be performed on.
20522 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
20523 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
20524 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
20525 with the current one.
20527 @vindex transient-mark-mode
20528 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
20529 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
20531 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
20532 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
20535 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
20536 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
20538 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
20541 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
20542 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
20543 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
20544 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20546 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
20547 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
20548 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
20549 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
20550 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
20551 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
20552 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
20553 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
20555 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
20556 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
20557 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
20558 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
20559 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20563 @section Interactive
20564 @cindex interaction
20568 @item gnus-novice-user
20569 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20570 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20571 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20572 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20573 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20576 @item gnus-expert-user
20577 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20578 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20579 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20580 matter how strange.
20582 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20583 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20584 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20585 is @code{t} by default.
20587 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20588 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20589 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20594 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20595 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20596 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20598 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20599 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20600 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20601 rule of 900 to the current article.
20603 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20604 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20605 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20606 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20607 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20608 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20609 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20611 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20612 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20613 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20614 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20615 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20616 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20617 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20618 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20619 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20621 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20622 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20623 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20625 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20629 @node Formatting Variables
20630 @section Formatting Variables
20631 @cindex formatting variables
20633 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20634 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20635 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20636 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20637 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20640 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20641 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20642 lots of percentages everywhere.
20645 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20646 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20647 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20648 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20649 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20650 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20651 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20652 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20655 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20656 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20657 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20658 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20659 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20660 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20661 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20662 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20664 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20665 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20667 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20668 @findex gnus-update-format
20669 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20670 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20671 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20672 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20676 @node Formatting Basics
20677 @subsection Formatting Basics
20679 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20680 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20681 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20683 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20684 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20685 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20686 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20687 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20690 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20691 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20692 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20693 less than 4 characters wide.
20695 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20696 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20699 @node Mode Line Formatting
20700 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20702 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20703 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20704 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20705 with the following two differences:
20710 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20713 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20714 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20715 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20716 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20717 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20718 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20719 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20724 @node Advanced Formatting
20725 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20727 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20728 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20729 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20730 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20732 These are the valid modifiers:
20737 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20741 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20746 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20749 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20754 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20757 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20760 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20763 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20769 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20774 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20775 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20776 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20777 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20778 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20779 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20780 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20782 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20783 last operation, padding.
20785 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
20786 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
20787 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
20788 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
20789 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
20790 the look of your lines.
20791 @xref{Compilation}.
20794 @node User-Defined Specs
20795 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20797 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20798 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20799 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20800 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20801 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20802 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20803 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20804 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20805 should protect against that.
20807 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20808 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20810 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20811 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20812 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20813 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20817 @node Formatting Fonts
20818 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20820 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20821 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20822 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20823 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20826 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20827 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20828 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20829 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20830 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20831 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20833 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20834 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20835 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20836 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20837 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20838 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20839 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20840 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20841 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20842 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20843 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20846 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20849 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
20850 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20851 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20853 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
20854 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
20855 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
20856 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20857 ;; @r{Set the color.}
20858 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20859 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20861 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
20862 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20863 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20866 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20867 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20869 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20870 mode-line variables.
20872 @node Positioning Point
20873 @subsection Positioning Point
20875 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20876 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20877 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20879 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20881 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20882 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20883 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20885 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20886 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20887 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20892 @subsection Tabulation
20894 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20895 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20896 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20897 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20899 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
20900 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20902 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20903 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20904 This is the soft tabulator.
20906 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20907 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20908 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20911 @node Wide Characters
20912 @subsection Wide Characters
20914 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20915 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20916 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20918 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20919 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20920 these countries, that's not true.
20922 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20923 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20924 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20925 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20929 @node Window Layout
20930 @section Window Layout
20931 @cindex window layout
20933 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20935 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20936 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20937 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20938 @code{t} by default.
20940 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20941 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20943 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20944 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20945 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20948 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20949 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20950 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20954 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20955 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20956 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20957 possible names is listed below.
20959 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20960 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20963 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20967 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20968 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20969 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20970 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20971 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20972 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20973 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20974 size spec per split.
20976 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20977 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20978 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20979 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20980 present) gets focus.
20982 Here's a more complicated example:
20985 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
20986 (summary 0.25 point)
20987 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
20991 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
20992 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
20993 occupy, not a percentage.
20995 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
20996 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
20997 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
20998 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
20999 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
21002 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
21005 (article (horizontal 1.0
21010 (summary 0.25 point)
21015 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
21016 @code{horizontal} thingie?
21018 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
21019 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
21020 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
21021 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
21022 the screen is to be given to this strip.
21024 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
21025 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
21026 lines from the splits.
21028 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
21033 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
21034 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
21035 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
21036 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
21037 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
21038 size = number | frame-params
21039 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
21043 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
21044 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
21045 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
21046 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
21048 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
21049 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
21050 @cindex window height
21051 @cindex window width
21052 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
21053 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
21054 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
21055 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
21056 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
21057 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
21059 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
21060 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
21061 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
21062 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
21064 @findex gnus-configure-frame
21065 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
21066 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
21067 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
21068 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
21069 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
21070 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
21071 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
21072 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
21073 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
21074 configuration list.
21077 (gnus-configure-frame
21081 (article 0.3 point))
21089 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
21090 @code{frame} split:
21093 (gnus-configure-frame
21096 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
21098 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
21099 (user-position . t)
21100 (left . -1) (top . 1))
21105 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
21106 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
21107 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
21108 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
21109 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
21110 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
21111 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
21112 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
21114 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
21115 be found in its default value.
21117 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
21118 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
21119 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
21123 (message (horizontal 1.0
21124 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
21126 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
21131 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
21132 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
21133 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
21138 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
21139 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
21140 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
21141 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
21142 (name . "Message"))
21143 (message 1.0 point))))
21146 @findex gnus-add-configuration
21147 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
21148 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
21149 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
21150 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
21153 (gnus-add-configuration
21154 '(article (vertical 1.0
21156 (summary .25 point)
21160 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
21161 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
21162 Gnus has been loaded.
21164 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21165 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21166 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21167 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21168 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21170 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21171 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21172 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21175 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21179 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21180 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21195 (gnus-add-configuration
21198 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21200 (summary 0.16 point)
21203 (gnus-add-configuration
21206 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21207 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21213 @node Faces and Fonts
21214 @section Faces and Fonts
21219 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21220 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21221 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21226 @section Compilation
21227 @cindex compilation
21228 @cindex byte-compilation
21230 @findex gnus-compile
21232 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21233 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21234 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
21235 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
21236 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
21237 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21238 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21239 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21242 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21243 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21244 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21245 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
21246 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
21249 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
21250 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
21251 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
21252 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
21253 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
21258 @section Mode Lines
21261 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
21262 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
21263 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
21264 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
21265 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
21266 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
21267 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
21270 @cindex display-time
21272 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
21273 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
21274 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
21275 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
21276 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
21277 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
21278 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
21279 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
21282 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
21284 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
21285 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
21287 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
21288 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
21289 (length display-time-string)))))
21292 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
21293 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
21294 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
21295 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
21296 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
21299 @node Highlighting and Menus
21300 @section Highlighting and Menus
21302 @cindex highlighting
21305 @vindex gnus-visual
21306 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
21307 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
21308 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
21311 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
21312 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
21315 @item group-highlight
21316 Do highlights in the group buffer.
21317 @item summary-highlight
21318 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
21319 @item article-highlight
21320 Do highlights in the article buffer.
21322 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
21324 Create menus in the group buffer.
21326 Create menus in the summary buffers.
21328 Create menus in the article buffer.
21330 Create menus in the browse buffer.
21332 Create menus in the server buffer.
21334 Create menus in the score buffers.
21336 Create menus in all buffers.
21339 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
21340 buffers, you could say something like:
21343 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
21346 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
21349 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
21352 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
21353 in all Gnus buffers.
21355 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
21358 @item gnus-mouse-face
21359 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
21360 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
21361 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
21365 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
21369 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
21370 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
21371 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
21373 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
21374 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
21375 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
21377 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
21378 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
21379 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
21381 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
21382 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
21383 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
21385 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
21386 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
21387 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
21389 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
21390 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
21391 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
21402 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
21403 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
21404 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
21405 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
21406 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
21410 @vindex gnus-carpal
21411 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
21412 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
21413 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
21418 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21419 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21420 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
21422 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
21423 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
21424 Face used on buttons.
21426 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
21427 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
21428 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
21430 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21431 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21432 Buttons in the group buffer.
21434 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21435 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21436 Buttons in the summary buffer.
21438 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21439 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21440 Buttons in the server buffer.
21442 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21443 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21444 Buttons in the browse buffer.
21447 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
21448 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
21449 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
21457 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
21458 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
21459 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
21460 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
21461 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
21463 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
21464 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
21465 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
21467 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
21468 been idle for thirty minutes:
21471 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
21474 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
21478 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
21481 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
21482 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
21483 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21485 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
21486 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
21487 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
21488 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21490 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
21491 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
21492 @var{idle} minutes.
21494 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
21495 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
21498 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
21499 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
21500 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
21502 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
21503 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
21504 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
21505 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
21507 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
21508 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21510 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
21512 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
21515 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
21516 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
21517 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
21518 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
21519 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
21520 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
21521 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
21522 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
21523 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
21524 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
21525 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
21527 @findex gnus-demon-init
21528 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
21529 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
21530 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
21531 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
21532 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
21534 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
21535 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
21536 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
21545 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
21546 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
21548 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
21549 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
21550 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
21551 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
21554 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
21555 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
21556 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
21557 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
21559 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
21560 this will make spam disappear.
21562 There are some variables to customize, of course:
21565 @item gnus-use-nocem
21566 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
21567 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
21570 @item gnus-nocem-groups
21571 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
21572 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
21575 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
21576 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
21579 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21580 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21581 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21582 people you want to listen to. The default is
21584 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
21585 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
21587 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21589 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
21590 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21592 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21593 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21594 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21595 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21596 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21597 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21598 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21599 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21600 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21601 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21603 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21604 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21607 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21610 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21611 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21614 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21617 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21620 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21621 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21623 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21624 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21625 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21626 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21628 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21629 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21632 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21634 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21642 This might be dangerous, though.
21644 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21645 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21646 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
21647 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21649 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21650 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21651 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21652 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21653 might then see old spam.
21655 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21656 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21657 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21658 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21659 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21662 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21663 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21664 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21665 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21669 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21670 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21671 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21672 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21679 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21680 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21681 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21683 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21684 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21685 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21686 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21687 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21688 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21689 @code{undo} function.
21691 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21692 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21693 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21694 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21695 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21696 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21697 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21698 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21699 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21700 never be totally undoable.
21702 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21703 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21705 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21706 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21707 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21708 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21712 @node Predicate Specifiers
21713 @section Predicate Specifiers
21714 @cindex predicate specifiers
21716 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21717 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21718 to type all that much.
21720 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21725 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21726 gnus-article-unread-p)
21729 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21730 functions all take one parameter.
21732 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21733 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21734 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21735 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21740 @section Moderation
21743 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21744 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21745 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21748 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21752 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21755 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21757 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21762 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21763 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21764 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21767 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21768 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21771 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21772 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21776 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21779 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21780 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21784 @node Image Enhancements
21785 @section Image Enhancements
21787 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
21788 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
21789 taken advantage of that.
21792 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21793 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
21794 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21795 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21796 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21804 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21805 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21806 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21810 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21811 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21812 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21820 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21821 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21822 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21823 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21825 The variable that controls this is the
21826 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21827 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21828 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21829 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21830 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21832 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21833 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21834 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21835 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21838 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21839 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21840 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21841 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21842 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21843 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21844 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21845 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21847 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21850 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21851 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21853 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21854 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21855 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21856 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21857 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21858 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21859 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21860 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21861 header data as a string.
21863 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21864 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21865 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21866 randomly generated data.
21868 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21869 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21870 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21871 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21872 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21874 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21875 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21878 (setq message-required-news-headers
21879 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21880 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21883 Using the last function would be something like this:
21886 (setq message-required-news-headers
21887 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21888 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21889 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21890 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21898 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces'implementations should really be harmonized.
21900 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
21901 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
21902 represent the author of the message.
21905 @findex gnus-article-display-face
21906 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
21907 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
21910 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21911 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
21913 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
21914 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
21915 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
21917 @findex gnus-face-from-file
21918 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
21919 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
21920 converts the file to Face format by using the
21921 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
21923 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
21924 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21927 (setq message-required-news-headers
21928 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21929 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
21930 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
21935 @subsection Smileys
21940 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
21945 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
21946 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
21948 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
21949 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21952 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
21955 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
21956 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
21957 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
21958 text and maps that to file names.
21960 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
21961 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
21962 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
21963 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
21964 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
21967 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
21972 @item smiley-data-directory
21973 @vindex smiley-data-directory
21974 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
21976 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
21977 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
21978 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
21992 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
21993 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
21994 over your shoulder as you read news.
21996 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
22005 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
22006 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
22007 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
22008 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
22009 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
22010 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
22011 @code{GIF} formats.
22014 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22015 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
22016 point your Web browser at
22017 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
22019 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
22020 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
22022 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
22023 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
22026 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
22030 @item gnus-picon-databases
22031 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22032 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
22033 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
22034 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
22035 "/usr/local/faces")}.
22037 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
22038 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
22039 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22040 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
22042 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
22043 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
22044 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
22045 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
22047 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
22048 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
22049 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22050 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
22051 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
22053 @item gnus-picon-file-types
22054 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
22055 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
22056 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
22062 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
22065 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22066 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22067 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
22068 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
22069 unusual directory structure.
22071 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22072 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22073 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
22074 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
22076 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22077 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22078 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
22079 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
22080 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
22081 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
22083 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22084 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22085 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
22090 @subsubsection Toolbar
22094 @item gnus-use-toolbar
22095 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
22096 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
22097 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
22098 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
22100 @item gnus-group-toolbar
22101 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
22102 The toolbar in the group buffer.
22104 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
22105 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
22106 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
22108 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22109 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22110 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
22121 @node Fuzzy Matching
22122 @section Fuzzy Matching
22123 @cindex fuzzy matching
22125 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
22126 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
22128 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
22129 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
22130 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
22132 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
22133 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
22134 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
22135 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
22136 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
22139 @node Thwarting Email Spam
22140 @section Thwarting Email Spam
22144 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22146 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
22147 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
22148 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
22149 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
22150 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
22151 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
22152 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
22153 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
22156 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
22157 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
22158 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
22159 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
22160 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
22161 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
22163 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
22166 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
22167 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
22168 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
22169 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
22170 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
22171 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22174 @node The problem of spam
22175 @subsection The problem of spam
22177 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22178 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22180 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22182 First, some background on spam.
22184 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22185 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
22186 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
22187 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
22188 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
22189 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
22190 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
22191 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
22192 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
22194 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
22195 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
22196 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
22197 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
22198 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
22199 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
22200 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
22201 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
22202 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
22205 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
22206 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
22207 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
22208 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
22209 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
22210 lots of spam from China, for example, you try to filter all mail from
22213 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. For
22214 instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has been
22215 blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
22216 words that were common in spam messages. The risks of blocking a
22217 whole country from contacting you should also be obvious, so don't do
22218 it if you have the choice. Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with
22219 great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
22221 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
22222 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
22223 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
22224 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
22225 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
22226 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
22227 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
22228 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
22229 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
22231 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
22232 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
22233 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
22234 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
22235 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
22236 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
22237 down for some time because of the incident.
22239 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
22240 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
22241 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
22242 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
22243 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
22244 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
22245 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
22246 to store the database of spam analyses. Statistical analysis on the
22247 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
22248 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
22249 the server that it has misclassified mail.
22251 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
22252 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
22253 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
22254 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
22255 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
22256 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
22257 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
22260 @node Anti-Spam Basics
22261 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
22265 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22267 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
22268 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
22270 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
22271 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
22272 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
22273 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
22274 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
22275 part of the mail address.)
22278 (setq message-default-news-headers
22279 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
22282 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22283 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22287 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
22288 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
22289 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
22294 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
22295 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
22296 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
22297 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
22299 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
22300 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
22301 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
22302 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
22303 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
22304 your fancy split rule in this way:
22309 (to "larsi" "misc")
22313 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
22314 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
22315 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
22316 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
22317 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
22319 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
22320 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
22321 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
22322 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
22324 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
22328 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
22329 @cindex SpamAssassin
22330 @cindex Vipul's Razor
22333 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
22334 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
22335 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
22336 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
22337 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
22338 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
22339 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
22341 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
22342 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
22343 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
22346 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
22347 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
22348 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
22349 Specifiers}) follow.
22353 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
22357 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
22360 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
22361 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
22362 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
22365 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
22369 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22372 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
22373 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
22377 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
22378 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
22379 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
22380 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
22383 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
22385 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
22389 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
22390 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
22394 Note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will not be
22395 downloaded by default. You need to set
22396 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to t to do that (@pxref{Splitting in
22399 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
22400 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
22401 spam. And here is the nifty function:
22404 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
22405 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
22407 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
22408 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
22409 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
22413 @subsection Hashcash
22416 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
22417 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
22418 you cannot rely on everyone in the world using this technique,
22419 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
22420 in smaller communities.
22422 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
22423 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
22424 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
22425 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
22426 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
22427 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
22428 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
22429 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
22430 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
22431 one of them separately.
22434 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
22435 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
22436 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
22437 header. For more details, and for the external application
22438 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
22439 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
22440 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
22442 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
22446 (require 'hashcash)
22447 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
22450 The @file{hashcash.el} library can be found in the Gnus development
22451 contrib directory or at
22452 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}.
22454 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
22458 @item hashcash-default-payment
22459 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
22460 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
22461 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
22462 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
22464 @item hashcash-payment-alist
22465 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
22466 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
22467 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
22468 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
22469 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
22470 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
22471 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
22472 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
22476 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
22480 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
22481 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
22482 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
22483 a useful contribution, however.
22485 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22486 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22487 @cindex spam filtering
22490 The idea behind @file{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
22491 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @file{spam.el} does two things: it
22492 filters new mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
22493 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @file{spam.el} to indicate
22496 First of all, you @strong{must} run the function
22497 @code{spam-initialize} to autoload @code{spam.el} and to install the
22498 @code{spam.el} hooks. There is one exception: if you use the
22499 @code{spam-use-stat} (@pxref{spam-stat spam filtering}) setting, you
22500 should turn it on before @code{spam-initialize}:
22503 (setq spam-use-stat t) ;; if needed
22507 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
22509 First, some hooks will get installed by @code{spam-initialize}. There
22510 are some hooks for @code{spam-stat} so it can save its databases, and
22511 there are hooks so interesting things will happen when you enter and
22512 leave a group. More on the sequence of events later (@pxref{Spam
22513 ELisp Package Sequence of Events}).
22515 You get the following keyboard commands:
22525 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
22526 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
22528 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
22529 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
22530 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
22531 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
22537 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
22538 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
22540 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
22546 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
22547 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
22551 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
22552 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
22553 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
22554 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
22555 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22556 * BBDB Whitelists::
22557 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
22558 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
22560 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22562 * ifile spam filtering::
22563 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22565 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
22568 @node Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
22569 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
22570 @cindex spam filtering
22571 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
22574 You must read this section to understand how @code{spam.el} works.
22575 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
22577 There are two @emph{contact points}, if you will, between
22578 @code{spam.el} and the rest of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and
22581 Getting new mail is done in one of two ways. You can either split
22582 your incoming mail or you can classify new articles as ham or spam
22583 when you enter the group.
22585 Splitting incoming mail is better suited to mail backends such as
22586 @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap} where new mail appears in a single file
22587 called a @dfn{Spool File}. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Filtering of
22590 For backends such as @code{nntp} there is no incoming mail spool, so
22591 an alternate mechanism must be used. This may also happen for
22592 backends where the server is in charge of splitting incoming mail, and
22593 Gnus does not do further splitting. The @code{spam-autodetect} and
22594 @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameters (accessible with
22595 @kbd{G c} and @kbd{G p} as usual), and the corresponding variables
22596 @code{gnus-spam-autodetect-methods} and
22597 @code{gnus-spam-autodetect-methods} (accessible with @kbd{M-x
22598 customize-variable} as usual).
22600 When @code{spam-autodetect} is used, it hooks into the process of
22601 entering a group. Thus, entering a group with unseen or unread
22602 articles becomes the substitute for checking incoming mail. Whether
22603 only unseen articles or all unread articles will be processed is
22604 determined by the @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages}. When set
22605 to t, unread messages will be rechecked.
22607 @code{spam-autodetect} grants the user at once more and less control
22608 of spam filtering. The user will have more control over each group's
22609 spam methods, so for instance the @samp{ding} group may have
22610 @code{spam-use-BBDB} as the autodetection method, while the
22611 @samp{suspect} group may have the @code{spam-use-blacklist} and
22612 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods enabled. Every article detected to
22613 be spam will be marked with the spam mark @samp{$} and processed on
22614 exit from the group as normal spam. The user has less control over
22615 the @emph{sequence} of checks, as he might with @code{spam-split}.
22617 When the newly split mail goes into groups, or messages are
22618 autodetected to be ham or spam, those groups must be exited (after
22619 entering, if needed) for further spam processing to happen. It
22620 matters whether the group is considered a ham group, a spam group, or
22621 is unclassified, based on its @code{spam-content} parameter
22622 (@pxref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). Spam groups have the
22623 additional characteristic that, when entered, any unseen or unread
22624 articles (depending on the @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam}
22625 variable) will be marked as spam. Thus, mail split into a spam group
22626 gets automatically marked as spam when you enter the group.
22628 So, when you exit a group, the @code{spam-processors} are applied, if
22629 any are set, and the processed mail is moved to the
22630 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination}
22631 depending on the article's classification. If the
22632 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination},
22633 whichever is appropriate, are nil, the article is left in the current
22636 If a spam is found in any group (this can be changed to only non-spam
22637 groups with @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only}), it is
22638 processed by the active @code{spam-processors} (@pxref{Spam ELisp
22639 Package Global Variables}) when the group is exited. Furthermore, the
22640 spam is moved to the @code{spam-process-destination} (@pxref{Spam
22641 ELisp Package Global Variables}) for further training or deletion.
22642 You have to load the @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
22643 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want spam to be processed
22644 no more than once. Thus, spam is detected and processed everywhere,
22645 which is what most people want. If the
22646 @code{spam-process-destination} is nil, the spam is marked as
22647 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
22649 If spam can not be moved - because of a read-only backend such as NNTP,
22650 for example, it will be copied.
22652 If a ham mail is found in a ham group, as determined by the
22653 @code{ham-marks} parameter, it is processed as ham by the active ham
22654 @code{spam-processor} when the group is exited. With the variables
22655 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
22656 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} the behavior can be further
22657 altered so ham found anywhere can be processed. You have to load the
22658 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
22659 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want ham to be processed
22660 no more than once. Thus, ham is detected and processed only when
22661 necessary, which is what most people want. More on this in
22662 @xref{Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples}.
22664 If ham can not be moved - because of a read-only backend such as NNTP,
22665 for example, it will be copied.
22667 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
22668 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface... err, sorry, that's
22669 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
22671 @node Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
22672 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
22673 @cindex spam filtering
22674 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
22677 To use the @file{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
22678 must add the following to your fancy split list
22679 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
22685 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
22686 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
22687 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
22689 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
22690 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
22691 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
22692 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}. Make sure the contents
22693 of @code{spam-split-group} are an @emph{unqualified} group name, for
22694 instance in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server} the value
22695 @samp{spam} will turn out to be @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The
22696 value @samp{nnimap+server:spam}, therefore, is wrong and will
22697 actually give you the group
22698 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam} which may or may not
22699 work depending on your server's tolerance for strange group names.
22701 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
22702 e.g. @samp{'spam-use-regex-headers} or @samp{"maybe-spam"}. Why is
22705 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
22706 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
22709 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22710 (any "ding" "ding")
22716 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
22717 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
22718 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
22719 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
22720 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
22721 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
22723 You can let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, but all other
22724 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
22725 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
22728 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22729 ;;; all spam detected by spam-use-regex-headers goes to "regex-spam"
22730 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
22731 (any "ding" "ding")
22732 ;;; all other spam detected by spam-split goes to spam-split-group
22738 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
22739 your particular needs, and to target the results of those checks to a
22740 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
22741 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
22742 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
22743 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
22744 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
22746 You should still have specific checks such as
22747 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you
22748 specifically invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is
22749 that when loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done
22750 depending on what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. This
22751 is usually not critical, though.
22753 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
22755 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
22756 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
22757 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
22758 message headers. If you use @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
22759 @code{spam-check-ifile}, or @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that
22760 can benefit from the full message body), you should set this variable.
22761 It is not set by default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and
22762 that is not an appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user.
22764 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22766 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
22767 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
22770 @node Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
22771 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
22772 @cindex spam filtering
22773 @cindex spam filtering variables
22774 @cindex spam variables
22777 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
22778 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
22779 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
22780 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
22781 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
22782 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
22783 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
22784 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
22785 will be detected later.
22787 The format of the spam or ham processor entry used to be a symbol,
22788 but now it is a cons cell. See the individual spam processor entries
22789 for more information.
22791 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
22792 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
22793 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
22794 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
22795 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
22796 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
22797 by customizing the corresponding variable
22798 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
22799 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
22800 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
22801 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
22802 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
22803 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
22804 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
22807 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
22809 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
22810 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
22811 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
22812 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
22813 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
22814 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
22815 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
22816 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
22817 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
22818 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
22819 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
22820 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
22821 processor which will study them as spam samples.
22823 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
22824 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
22825 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
22826 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
22827 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
22828 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
22829 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
22830 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
22833 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22834 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
22835 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
22836 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
22837 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
22838 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
22839 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
22844 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22845 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
22846 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
22847 you really want to.
22850 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
22851 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
22852 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
22853 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
22854 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
22855 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
22858 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
22859 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
22860 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
22861 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
22862 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
22863 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
22864 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
22865 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
22866 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
22867 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
22868 newsgroup specification has the format (REGEXP PROCESSOR) in a
22869 standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually.
22870 The ultimate location is a group name or names. If the
22871 @code{ham-process-destination} parameter is not set, ham articles are
22872 left in place. If the
22873 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
22874 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
22876 If ham can not be moved - because of a read-only backend such as NNTP,
22877 for example, it will be copied.
22879 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
22880 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
22881 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
22883 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
22884 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
22886 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
22887 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
22888 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
22889 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
22890 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
22892 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
22893 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
22894 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
22895 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
22896 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
22899 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
22900 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
22901 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
22902 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
22903 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
22904 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
22905 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
22906 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each newsgroup specification has
22907 the repeated format (REGEXP GROUP) and they are all in a standard Lisp
22908 list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. The ultimate
22909 location is a group name or names. If the
22910 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
22911 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
22912 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
22913 group buffer then you need it here as well.
22915 If spam can not be moved - because of a read-only backend such as NNTP,
22916 for example, it will be copied.
22918 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
22919 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
22922 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
22923 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
22924 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
22925 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
22926 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
22927 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
22928 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
22930 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
22931 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
22932 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to nil,
22933 unread articles will also be marked as spam.
22935 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
22936 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
22937 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
22938 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham - the article will be placed
22939 in your ham-process-destination, unmarked as if it came fresh from
22942 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
22943 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
22944 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
22945 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
22947 @node Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
22948 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
22949 @cindex spam filtering
22950 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
22951 @cindex spam configuration examples
22954 @subsubheading Ted's setup
22956 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
22959 ;; for gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent and spam autodetection
22960 ;; see gnus-registry.el for more information
22961 (gnus-registry-initialize)
22964 ;; I like control-S for marking spam
22965 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map "\C-s" 'gnus-summary-mark-as-spam)
22968 spam-log-to-registry t ;; for spam autodetection
22970 spam-use-regex-headers t ; catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)
22971 ;; all groups with "spam" in the name contain spam
22972 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
22973 ;; see documentation for these
22974 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
22975 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
22976 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
22977 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
22978 ;; understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!
22979 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22980 ;; trace references to parents and put in their group
22981 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
22982 ;; this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags
22983 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
22984 (any "ding" "ding")
22985 ;; note that spam by default will go to "spam"
22990 ;; my parameters, set with `G p'
22992 ;; all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except
22993 ;; "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train" and
22994 ;; "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam": any spam goes to nnimap training,
22995 ;; because it must have been detected manually
22997 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23000 ;; autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB
23001 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
23002 ;; send all spam to the training group
23003 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23005 ;; only some NNTP groups, where I want to autodetect spam
23006 ((spam-autodetect . t))
23008 ;; my nnimap "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam" group
23010 ;; this is a spam group
23011 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
23013 ;; any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,
23014 ;; because of the gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents setting above), goes to
23015 ;; "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train" unless I mark it as ham
23017 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
23019 ;; any ham goes to my "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail" folder, but
23020 ;; also to my "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham" folder for training
23022 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
23023 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
23024 ;; in this group, only '!' marks are ham
23026 (gnus-ticked-mark))
23027 ;; remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out - this is
23028 ;; definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better
23029 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
23031 ;; Later, on the IMAP server I use the "train" group for training
23032 ;; SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the "trainham" group for
23033 ;; recognizing ham - but Gnus has nothing to do with it.
23037 @subsubheading Using @file{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
23039 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23041 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
23042 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
23043 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
23044 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
23045 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
23046 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
23047 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
23048 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
23049 @samp{training.spam} folders.
23051 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
23052 does most of the job for me:
23055 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
23056 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
23057 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
23058 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23059 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
23060 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
23061 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
23066 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
23068 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
23069 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
23070 bogofilter or DCC).
23072 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
23073 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
23074 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark (@code{ham-marks},
23075 @ref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). On group exit, those
23076 messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (were I want to have
23077 the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter) and
23078 deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
23080 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
23081 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
23082 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
23083 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
23084 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
23085 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
23087 @item @b{Ham folders:}
23089 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
23090 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
23091 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
23092 @samp{training.ham}.
23095 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
23097 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23099 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
23100 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
23101 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
23105 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
23108 Additionally, I use `(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)'
23109 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
23110 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
23111 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
23112 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
23114 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
23115 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
23116 @cindex spam filtering
23117 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
23118 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
23121 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
23123 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
23124 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
23125 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
23126 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
23131 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
23133 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
23134 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
23135 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23136 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
23137 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23141 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
23143 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
23144 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23145 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
23149 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
23151 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23152 customizing the group parameters or the
23153 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23154 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23155 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
23159 Instead of the obsolete
23160 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
23161 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
23162 the same way, we promise.
23166 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
23168 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23169 customizing the group parameters or the
23170 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23171 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23172 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
23173 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
23174 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
23178 Instead of the obsolete
23179 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
23180 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
23181 the same way, we promise.
23185 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
23186 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
23187 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
23188 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
23189 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
23191 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
23192 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
23193 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
23194 Emacs regular expression syntax.
23196 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
23197 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
23198 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
23199 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
23200 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
23201 @file{blacklist} respectively.
23203 @node BBDB Whitelists
23204 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
23205 @cindex spam filtering
23206 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
23207 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
23210 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
23212 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
23213 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
23214 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
23215 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
23216 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23217 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
23218 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23222 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
23224 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
23225 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23226 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
23227 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
23228 classified as spammers.
23232 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
23234 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23235 customizing the group parameters or the
23236 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23237 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23238 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
23239 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
23240 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
23244 Instead of the obsolete
23245 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
23246 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
23247 the same way, we promise.
23251 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
23252 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
23253 @cindex spam reporting
23254 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
23255 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
23258 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
23260 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23261 customizing the group parameters or the
23262 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23263 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
23264 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
23267 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
23271 Instead of the obsolete
23272 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
23273 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
23274 same way, we promise.
23278 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
23280 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
23281 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
23282 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
23283 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
23284 @code{spam-report.el} will use the @code{X-Report-Spam} header that
23289 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
23290 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
23291 @cindex spam filtering
23292 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
23295 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
23297 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
23298 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
23299 instead of the sender address. You must have the @code{hashcash.el}
23300 package loaded for @code{spam-use-hashcash} to work properly.
23301 Messages without a hashcash payment token will be sent to the next
23302 spam-split rule. This is an explicit filter, meaning that unless a
23303 hashcash token is found, the messages are not assumed to be spam or
23309 @subsubsection Blackholes
23310 @cindex spam filtering
23311 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
23314 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
23316 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
23317 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
23318 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
23319 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
23320 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
23321 contains outdated servers.
23323 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
23324 @file{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
23325 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
23326 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
23327 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
23328 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
23332 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
23334 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
23338 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
23340 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
23341 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
23345 @defvar spam-use-dig
23347 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
23348 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
23352 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
23353 ham processor for blackholes.
23355 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
23356 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
23357 @cindex spam filtering
23358 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
23361 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
23363 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
23364 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
23365 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
23366 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
23367 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
23368 message is spam or ham, respectively.
23372 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
23374 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
23375 the message, positively identify it as spam.
23379 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
23381 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
23382 the message, positively identify it as ham.
23386 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
23387 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
23390 @subsubsection Bogofilter
23391 @cindex spam filtering
23392 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
23395 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
23397 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
23400 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
23401 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
23402 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
23403 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
23404 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
23405 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
23407 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
23408 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
23411 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
23412 processing will be turned off.
23414 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
23418 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
23420 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
23421 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
23422 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
23423 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
23424 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
23425 installation documents for details.
23427 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
23431 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
23432 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23433 customizing the group parameters or the
23434 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23435 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
23436 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
23440 Instead of the obsolete
23441 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
23442 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
23443 the same way, we promise.
23446 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
23447 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23448 customizing the group parameters or the
23449 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23450 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
23451 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
23452 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
23453 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
23457 Instead of the obsolete
23458 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
23459 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
23460 the same way, we promise.
23463 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
23465 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
23466 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
23467 database directory.
23471 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
23472 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
23473 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
23474 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
23475 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
23476 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
23478 @node ifile spam filtering
23479 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
23480 @cindex spam filtering
23481 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
23484 @defvar spam-use-ifile
23486 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
23487 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
23491 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
23493 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
23494 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
23495 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
23499 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
23501 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
23502 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
23503 the default value of @samp{spam}.
23506 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
23508 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
23509 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
23513 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
23514 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
23515 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
23516 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
23519 @node spam-stat spam filtering
23520 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
23521 @cindex spam filtering
23522 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
23526 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
23528 @defvar spam-use-stat
23530 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
23531 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
23535 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
23536 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23537 customizing the group parameters or the
23538 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23539 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
23540 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
23544 Instead of the obsolete
23545 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
23546 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
23547 the same way, we promise.
23550 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
23551 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23552 customizing the group parameters or the
23553 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23554 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
23555 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
23556 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
23557 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
23561 Instead of the obsolete
23562 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
23563 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
23564 the same way, we promise.
23567 This enables @file{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
23568 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
23569 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
23570 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
23571 @code{spam-split} are provided.
23574 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
23575 @cindex spam filtering
23579 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
23580 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
23581 installed separately.
23583 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
23584 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
23585 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
23586 mail as a spam mail or not.
23588 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
23589 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
23590 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
23592 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
23593 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
23595 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
23596 To enable SpamOracle usage by @file{spam.el}, set the variable
23597 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
23598 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
23599 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
23600 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
23601 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
23602 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
23606 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
23607 spam-split-group "Junk"
23608 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
23609 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23610 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
23613 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
23614 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
23618 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
23619 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
23620 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
23624 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
23625 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
23626 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
23627 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
23628 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
23629 database to live somewhere special, set
23630 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
23633 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
23634 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
23635 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
23636 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
23637 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
23638 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
23639 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @file{spam.el}'s
23640 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
23641 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
23642 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
23644 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
23645 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23646 customizing the group parameter or the
23647 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23648 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
23649 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
23653 Instead of the obsolete
23654 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
23655 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
23656 the same way, we promise.
23659 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
23660 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23661 customizing the group parameter or the
23662 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23663 to a grup's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
23664 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
23665 messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam} or
23666 @emph{unclassified} groups.
23670 Instead of the obsolete
23671 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
23672 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
23673 the same way, we promise.
23676 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
23677 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
23680 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
23681 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
23682 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
23684 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
23685 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
23686 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
23687 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
23688 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
23689 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
23691 @node Extending the Spam ELisp package
23692 @subsubsection Extending the Spam ELisp package
23693 @cindex spam filtering
23694 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
23695 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
23697 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
23698 incoming mail, provide the following:
23706 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
23707 "True if blackbox should be used.")
23712 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
23714 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
23718 (gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox ham spam-use-blackbox)
23719 (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox spam spam-use-blackbox)
23721 to @code{spam-list-of-processors}.
23725 (spam-use-blackbox spam-blackbox-register-routine
23727 spam-blackbox-unregister-routine
23730 to @code{spam-registration-functions}. Write the register/unregister
23731 routines using the bogofilter register/unregister routines as a
23732 start, or other restister/unregister routines more appropriate to
23738 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
23739 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other
23740 conventions. See the existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for
23741 examples of what you can do, and stick to the template unless you
23742 fully understand the reasons why you aren't.
23744 Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
23745 @code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
23746 mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
23750 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
23757 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
23758 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
23760 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
23761 variables. Instead the form @code{'(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
23762 @code{'(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
23763 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
23766 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
23767 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
23768 Only applicable to spam groups.")
23770 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
23771 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
23772 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
23781 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
23782 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
23784 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
23785 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
23786 variable customization.
23790 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
23792 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
23798 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23799 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23800 @cindex Paul Graham
23801 @cindex Graham, Paul
23802 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
23803 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
23804 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
23806 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
23807 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
23808 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
23809 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
23810 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
23811 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
23812 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
23813 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
23814 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
23817 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
23818 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
23819 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
23820 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
23821 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
23822 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
23823 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
23824 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
23826 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
23827 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
23828 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
23829 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
23830 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
23833 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
23834 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
23835 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
23838 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23839 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23841 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
23842 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
23843 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
23844 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
23845 need several hundred emails in both collections.
23847 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
23848 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
23849 per mail. Use the following:
23851 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
23852 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
23853 is treated as one spam mail.
23856 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
23857 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
23858 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
23861 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
23862 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
23863 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
23864 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
23865 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
23866 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
23868 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
23869 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
23870 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
23871 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
23872 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
23875 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
23876 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
23877 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
23878 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
23881 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
23882 reset the dictionary.
23884 @defun spam-stat-reset
23885 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
23888 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
23889 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
23890 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
23891 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
23892 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
23893 only non-spam mails.
23895 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
23896 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
23897 to update the dictionary incrementally.
23900 @defun spam-stat-save
23901 Save the dictionary.
23904 @defvar spam-stat-file
23905 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
23906 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
23909 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
23910 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
23912 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
23913 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23916 (require 'spam-stat)
23920 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
23923 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
23924 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
23925 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
23926 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
23928 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
23929 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
23930 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
23931 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
23934 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23935 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23939 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
23940 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
23943 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
23944 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
23945 expression are considered potential spam.
23948 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23949 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23950 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23954 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
23955 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
23956 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
23957 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
23958 mails, when creating the dictionary!
23961 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23962 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23963 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23967 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
23968 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
23969 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
23970 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
23971 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
23975 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23976 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
23977 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23978 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23983 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23984 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23986 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
23988 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
23989 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
23990 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23993 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
23994 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
23995 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23998 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
23999 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
24000 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
24001 already been processed as non-spam.
24004 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
24005 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
24006 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
24007 been processed as spam.
24010 @defun spam-stat-save
24011 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
24012 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24015 @defun spam-stat-load
24016 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
24017 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24020 @defun spam-stat-score-word
24021 Return the spam score for a word.
24024 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
24025 Return the spam score for a buffer.
24028 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
24029 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
24030 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24033 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
24034 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24037 (require 'spam-stat)
24041 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
24044 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24045 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24046 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24047 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24048 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24049 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24050 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24051 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24052 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24053 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24054 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24055 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24056 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24057 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24060 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
24063 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24064 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24065 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24066 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
24067 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24068 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24072 @section Interaction with other modes
24077 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provided some useful functions for dired
24078 buffers. It is enabled with
24080 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
24085 @findex gnus-dired-attach
24086 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
24087 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
24090 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
24091 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
24092 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
24096 @findex gnus-dired-print
24097 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
24098 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
24101 @node Various Various
24102 @section Various Various
24108 @item gnus-home-directory
24109 @vindex gnus-home-directory
24110 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
24111 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
24113 @item gnus-directory
24114 @vindex gnus-directory
24115 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
24116 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
24117 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
24119 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
24120 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
24121 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
24122 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
24124 @item gnus-default-directory
24125 @vindex gnus-default-directory
24126 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
24127 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
24128 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
24129 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
24130 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
24131 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
24134 @vindex gnus-verbose
24135 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
24136 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
24137 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
24138 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
24139 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
24141 @item gnus-verbose-backends
24142 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
24143 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
24144 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
24146 @item nnheader-max-head-length
24147 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
24148 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
24149 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
24150 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
24151 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
24152 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
24153 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
24154 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
24155 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
24157 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
24158 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
24159 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
24160 read when doing the operation described above.
24162 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24163 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24165 @cindex invalid characters in file names
24166 @cindex characters in file names
24167 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
24168 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
24169 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
24173 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24178 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
24179 Windows (phooey) systems.
24181 @item gnus-hidden-properties
24182 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
24183 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
24184 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
24185 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
24187 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
24188 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
24189 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
24190 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
24191 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
24193 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
24194 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
24195 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
24197 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
24198 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
24200 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
24201 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
24202 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
24203 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
24206 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
24214 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
24215 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
24217 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
24219 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
24225 Not because of victories @*
24228 but for the common sunshine,@*
24230 the largess of the spring.
24234 but for the day's work done@*
24235 as well as I was able;@*
24236 not for a seat upon the dais@*
24237 but at the common table.@*
24242 @chapter Appendices
24245 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
24246 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
24247 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
24248 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
24249 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
24250 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
24251 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
24252 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
24253 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
24260 @cindex installing under XEmacs
24262 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
24263 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
24264 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
24265 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
24266 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{w3},
24267 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
24274 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
24275 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
24277 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
24278 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
24279 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
24280 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
24281 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
24283 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
24284 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
24285 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
24286 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
24287 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
24288 appropriate name, don't you think?)
24290 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
24291 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
24292 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
24293 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
24296 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
24297 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
24298 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
24299 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
24300 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
24301 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
24302 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
24303 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
24304 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
24308 @node Gnus Versions
24309 @subsection Gnus Versions
24311 @cindex September Gnus
24313 @cindex Quassia Gnus
24314 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
24317 @cindex Gnus versions
24319 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
24320 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
24321 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
24323 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
24324 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
24326 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
24327 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
24329 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
24330 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
24332 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
24333 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
24336 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
24338 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
24339 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
24340 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
24341 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
24342 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
24343 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
24346 @node Other Gnus Versions
24347 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
24350 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
24351 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
24352 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
24353 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
24355 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
24356 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
24357 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
24358 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
24365 What's the point of Gnus?
24367 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
24368 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
24369 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
24370 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
24371 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
24372 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
24373 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
24374 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
24375 keep track of millions of people who post?
24377 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
24378 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
24379 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
24380 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
24381 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
24382 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
24383 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
24384 every one of you to explore and invent.
24386 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
24387 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
24390 @node Compatibility
24391 @subsection Compatibility
24393 @cindex compatibility
24394 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
24395 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
24396 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
24401 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
24405 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
24408 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
24411 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
24412 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
24413 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
24414 important variables have their values copied into their global
24415 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
24416 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
24418 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
24419 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
24420 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
24421 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
24422 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
24426 @cindex highlighting
24427 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
24428 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
24429 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
24430 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
24431 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
24432 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
24435 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
24436 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
24437 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
24438 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
24440 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
24441 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
24442 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
24443 to stop doing it the old way.
24445 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
24447 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24449 @cindex reporting bugs
24451 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
24452 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
24453 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
24455 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
24456 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
24457 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
24458 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
24463 @subsection Conformity
24465 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
24466 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
24474 There are no known breaches of this standard.
24478 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
24480 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
24481 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
24482 We do have some breaches to this one.
24488 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
24489 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
24490 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
24491 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
24492 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
24497 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
24498 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
24499 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
24500 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
24502 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
24503 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
24504 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
24506 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
24507 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
24509 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
24512 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
24513 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
24514 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
24515 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
24516 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
24519 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
24520 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
24521 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
24522 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
24524 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
24525 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
24527 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
24528 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
24529 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
24530 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
24531 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
24532 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
24533 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
24534 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
24538 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
24539 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
24544 @subsection Emacsen
24550 Gnus should work on:
24558 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
24562 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
24563 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
24564 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
24565 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
24566 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
24568 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
24569 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
24570 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
24574 @node Gnus Development
24575 @subsection Gnus Development
24577 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
24578 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
24579 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
24580 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
24581 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
24582 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
24583 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
24584 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
24586 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
24587 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
24588 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
24589 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
24590 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
24593 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
24594 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
24595 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
24596 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
24597 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
24599 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
24600 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
24601 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
24602 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
24603 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
24604 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
24605 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
24606 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
24607 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
24608 can't be assumed to do so.
24613 @subsection Contributors
24614 @cindex contributors
24616 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
24617 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
24618 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
24619 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
24620 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
24621 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
24622 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
24623 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
24624 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
24625 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
24627 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
24633 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
24636 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
24637 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
24638 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
24639 functionality and stuff.
24642 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
24643 well as numerous other things).
24646 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
24649 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
24652 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
24655 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
24658 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
24659 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
24662 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
24665 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
24666 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
24669 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
24672 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
24675 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
24678 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
24681 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
24682 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
24685 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
24688 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
24691 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
24694 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
24698 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
24701 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
24704 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
24707 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
24708 well as autoconf support.
24712 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
24713 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
24715 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
24730 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
24732 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
24736 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
24746 Alexei V. Barantsev,
24761 Massimo Campostrini,
24766 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
24767 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
24771 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
24774 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
24780 Michael Welsh Duggan,
24785 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
24789 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
24797 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
24799 Michelangelo Grigni,
24803 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
24805 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
24807 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
24814 François Felix Ingrand,
24815 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
24816 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
24818 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
24828 Peter Skov Knudsen,
24829 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
24831 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
24832 Thor Kristoffersen,
24835 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
24853 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
24854 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
24861 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
24866 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
24870 John McClary Prevost,
24876 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
24881 Christian von Roques,
24884 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
24891 Philippe Schnoebelen,
24893 Randal L. Schwartz,
24907 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
24912 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
24932 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
24933 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
24934 (550kB and counting).
24936 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
24939 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
24940 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
24944 @subsection New Features
24945 @cindex new features
24948 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
24949 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
24950 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
24951 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
24952 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
24953 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
24956 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
24957 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
24958 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
24961 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
24963 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
24968 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
24969 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
24972 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
24973 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
24976 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
24979 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
24980 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
24981 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
24984 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
24985 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
24986 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
24987 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24990 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
24991 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24994 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
24995 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
24996 (@pxref{The Active File}).
24999 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
25000 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
25003 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
25004 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
25005 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25008 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
25009 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
25010 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
25013 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
25014 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
25017 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
25018 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
25021 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
25022 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
25025 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
25026 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25029 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
25030 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
25033 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
25034 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25037 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
25040 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
25041 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
25044 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
25045 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
25048 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
25049 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
25052 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
25055 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
25056 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25059 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
25063 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
25067 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
25068 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
25071 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
25077 @node September Gnus
25078 @subsubsection September Gnus
25082 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
25086 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
25091 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
25092 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
25096 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
25097 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
25101 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
25105 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
25106 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
25109 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
25113 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
25116 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
25119 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
25122 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
25126 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
25127 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
25130 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
25134 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
25138 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
25142 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
25146 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
25149 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
25150 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
25153 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
25157 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
25158 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
25161 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
25164 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
25165 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
25166 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25169 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
25173 The Gnus cache is much faster.
25176 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
25180 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
25181 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
25184 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
25185 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
25188 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
25189 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
25192 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
25193 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
25194 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
25197 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
25198 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
25201 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
25204 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
25207 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
25210 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
25213 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
25214 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
25217 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
25221 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
25224 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
25229 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
25232 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
25236 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25239 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
25243 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
25246 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
25249 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
25250 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25253 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
25254 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
25258 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
25259 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
25262 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
25266 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
25267 buffer to allow easier treatment.
25270 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
25273 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
25277 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
25281 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
25282 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
25285 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
25289 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
25290 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
25293 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
25294 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
25297 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
25301 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
25304 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
25307 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
25313 @subsubsection Red Gnus
25315 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
25319 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
25326 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
25329 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
25330 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25333 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
25334 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
25338 Article washing status can be displayed in the
25339 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
25342 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
25345 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
25346 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
25349 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
25353 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
25354 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
25358 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
25359 Server Internals}).
25362 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
25366 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
25369 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
25370 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
25373 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
25374 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
25375 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
25378 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
25379 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
25382 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
25383 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
25386 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
25390 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
25391 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25394 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
25395 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25398 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
25402 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
25405 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
25409 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
25410 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25413 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
25414 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
25417 A new command for reading collections of documents
25418 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
25419 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
25422 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
25426 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
25427 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
25430 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
25431 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
25432 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
25435 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
25436 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
25440 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
25444 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
25448 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
25453 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
25457 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
25461 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
25462 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
25465 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
25471 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
25473 New features in Gnus 5.6:
25478 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
25479 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
25480 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
25483 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
25484 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
25485 group, which is created automatically.
25488 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
25492 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
25495 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
25496 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
25499 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
25503 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
25506 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
25507 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
25510 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
25513 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
25517 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
25518 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
25521 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
25522 control over simplification.
25525 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
25528 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
25532 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
25535 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
25538 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
25539 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
25540 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
25543 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
25544 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
25547 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
25551 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
25552 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
25555 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
25556 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
25559 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
25563 A history of where mails have been split is available.
25566 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
25569 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
25570 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
25573 A new function for citing in Message has been
25574 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
25577 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
25580 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
25584 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
25585 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
25588 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
25589 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
25592 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
25595 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
25599 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
25600 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
25602 New features in Gnus 5.8:
25607 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
25608 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
25610 If you used procmail like in
25613 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
25614 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
25615 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
25616 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
25619 this now has changed to
25623 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
25627 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
25630 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
25631 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
25634 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
25635 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
25638 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
25639 called to position point.
25642 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
25643 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
25646 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
25647 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
25650 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
25651 subtly different manner.
25654 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
25655 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
25656 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
25659 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
25664 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
25667 New features in Gnus 5.10:
25672 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
25676 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
25677 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
25680 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
25681 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
25684 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
25686 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
25687 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
25688 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
25689 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
25690 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
25691 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
25692 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
25693 isn't save in general.
25698 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
25699 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
25700 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
25701 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
25706 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
25707 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
25708 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
25712 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
25715 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
25720 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
25721 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
25723 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
25724 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
25728 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
25729 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
25732 Retrieval of charters and control messages
25734 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
25735 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
25740 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
25741 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
25742 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
25745 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
25746 decompressed when activated.
25749 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
25750 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
25753 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
25756 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
25757 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
25760 Warn about email replies to news
25762 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
25763 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
25767 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
25768 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
25772 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
25773 opposed to old but unread messages).
25776 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
25777 Gcc articles as read.
25780 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
25783 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
25784 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
25787 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
25788 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
25791 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
25792 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
25795 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
25796 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
25799 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
25801 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
25802 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
25803 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
25804 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
25807 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
25809 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
25810 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
25811 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
25812 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
25813 the second parameter.
25815 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
25816 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
25817 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
25818 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
25819 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
25820 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
25821 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
25822 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
25823 cycle used under Unix systems.
25825 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
25829 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
25831 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
25832 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
25833 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
25834 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
25835 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
25839 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
25841 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
25842 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
25843 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
25844 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
25848 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
25850 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
25851 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
25852 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
25853 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
25855 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
25856 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
25857 message cited below.
25860 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
25863 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
25865 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
25866 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
25867 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
25868 variable in @file{~/.emacs} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
25869 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
25872 (setq gnus-parameters
25874 (gnus-show-threads nil)
25875 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
25876 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
25877 (to-group . "\\1"))))
25881 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
25883 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.emacs} to
25887 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
25889 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
25890 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
25891 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
25892 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
25893 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
25894 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
25895 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
25896 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
25897 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
25900 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
25902 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
25903 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
25904 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
25905 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
25906 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
25907 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
25910 References and X-Draft-Headers are no longer generated when you start
25911 composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
25915 Improved anti-spam features.
25917 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
25918 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
25919 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
25920 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
25921 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
25924 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
25927 Face headers handling.
25930 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
25931 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
25934 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
25937 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
25939 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
25940 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
25941 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
25942 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
25943 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
25944 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
25945 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
25946 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
25947 when getting new mail, remove the function.
25950 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
25952 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
25953 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
25954 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
25955 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
25956 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
25957 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
25958 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
25959 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
25960 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
25961 was inserted directly.
25964 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
25966 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
25967 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
25973 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
25974 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
25975 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
25976 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
25977 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
25978 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
25979 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
25980 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
25981 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
25982 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
25983 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
25984 behaviour of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
25985 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
25986 is not needed any more.
25989 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
25991 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
25992 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
25993 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
25994 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
25995 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
25999 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
26001 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
26002 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
26005 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
26007 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
26008 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
26009 lisp directory into load-path.
26011 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
26012 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
26015 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
26017 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
26020 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
26022 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
26023 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
26024 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
26025 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
26028 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
26030 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
26032 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
26033 'bbdb-complete-name)
26037 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
26039 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
26040 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
26041 local files as external parts.
26043 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
26044 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
26045 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
26046 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
26047 that support editing.
26050 @code{gnus-default-charset}
26052 The default value is determined from the
26053 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
26054 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
26055 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
26058 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
26060 Add a new format of match like
26062 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
26063 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26065 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
26067 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
26068 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26072 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
26074 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
26075 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
26076 need add those two headers too.
26079 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
26081 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
26082 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
26083 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
26086 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
26087 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
26088 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
26092 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
26094 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
26097 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
26099 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
26102 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
26104 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
26105 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
26106 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
26109 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
26111 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
26115 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
26117 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
26118 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
26119 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
26120 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
26121 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
26122 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
26123 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
26124 The behaviour can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
26127 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
26129 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
26130 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
26131 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
26132 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
26133 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
26136 Extended format specs.
26138 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
26139 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
26140 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
26141 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
26142 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
26143 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
26146 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
26148 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
26149 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
26150 out other articles.
26152 @item Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
26154 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
26155 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
26156 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
26157 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
26160 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
26162 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
26163 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
26164 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
26167 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
26169 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
26170 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
26171 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
26172 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
26173 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
26174 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
26175 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
26176 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
26177 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
26178 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
26179 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
26182 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
26183 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
26186 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
26187 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
26188 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
26189 message, Message Manual}).
26192 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
26193 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
26195 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
26196 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
26197 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
26199 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
26203 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
26204 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
26206 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
26207 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
26208 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
26209 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
26212 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
26215 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
26218 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
26219 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
26222 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
26224 The behaviour for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
26225 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
26226 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
26227 invalidate the digital signature.
26234 @section The Manual
26238 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
26239 either @code{texi2dvi}
26241 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
26242 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
26244 to get what you hold in your hands now.
26246 The following conventions have been used:
26251 This is a @samp{string}
26254 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
26257 This is a @file{file}
26260 This is a @code{symbol}
26264 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
26268 (setq flargnoze "yes")
26271 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
26274 (setq flumphel 'yes)
26277 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
26278 ever get them confused.
26282 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
26283 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
26284 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
26285 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
26286 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
26287 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
26288 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
26294 @node On Writing Manuals
26295 @section On Writing Manuals
26297 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
26298 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
26299 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
26300 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
26301 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
26302 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
26305 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
26306 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
26307 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
26310 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
26311 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
26316 @section Terminology
26318 @cindex terminology
26323 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
26324 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
26325 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
26326 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
26327 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
26331 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
26332 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
26333 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
26334 not posting, and replying is not following up.
26338 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
26342 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
26347 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
26348 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
26349 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
26350 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
26351 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
26352 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
26353 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
26354 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
26355 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
26358 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
26359 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
26360 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
26361 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
26362 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
26363 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
26365 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
26366 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
26367 access the articles.
26369 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
26370 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
26371 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
26376 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
26377 default, way of getting news.
26381 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
26382 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
26387 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
26388 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
26392 A message that has been posted as news.
26395 @cindex mail message
26396 A message that has been mailed.
26400 A mail message or news article
26404 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
26409 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
26414 A line from the head of an article.
26418 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
26419 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
26421 @item @acronym{NOV}
26422 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
26423 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
26424 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
26425 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
26426 normal @sc{head} format.
26430 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
26431 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
26432 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
26433 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
26434 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
26435 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
26437 @item killed groups
26438 @cindex killed groups
26439 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
26440 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
26442 @item zombie groups
26443 @cindex zombie groups
26444 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
26447 @cindex active file
26448 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
26449 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
26450 is rather large, as you might surmise.
26453 @cindex bogus groups
26454 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
26455 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
26456 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
26459 @cindex activating groups
26460 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
26461 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
26462 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
26466 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
26468 @item select method
26469 @cindex select method
26470 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
26473 @item virtual server
26474 @cindex virtual server
26475 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
26476 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
26477 whole is a virtual server.
26481 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
26482 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
26485 @item ephemeral groups
26486 @cindex ephemeral groups
26487 @cindex temporary groups
26488 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
26489 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
26490 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
26493 @cindex solid groups
26494 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
26495 group buffer are solid groups.
26497 @item sparse articles
26498 @cindex sparse articles
26499 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
26500 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
26504 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
26505 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
26509 @cindex thread root
26510 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
26511 articles in the thread.
26515 An article that has responses.
26519 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
26523 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
26524 specified by RFC 1153.
26527 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
26528 @cindex mail sorting
26529 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
26530 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
26531 incorrectly called mail filtering.
26537 @node Customization
26538 @section Customization
26539 @cindex general customization
26541 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
26542 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
26543 for some quite common situations.
26546 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
26547 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
26548 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
26549 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
26553 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
26554 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
26556 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
26557 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
26558 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
26562 @item gnus-read-active-file
26563 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
26564 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
26565 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
26566 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
26567 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
26569 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
26570 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
26571 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
26572 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
26576 @node Slow Terminal Connection
26577 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
26579 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
26580 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
26581 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
26585 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
26586 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
26587 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
26588 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
26589 horizontal and vertical recentering.
26591 @item gnus-visible-headers
26592 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
26593 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
26594 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
26595 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
26597 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
26599 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
26600 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
26601 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
26604 @item gnus-use-full-window
26605 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
26606 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
26607 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
26608 want to read them anyway.
26610 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
26611 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
26615 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
26616 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
26617 lines, which might save some time.
26621 @node Little Disk Space
26622 @subsection Little Disk Space
26625 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
26626 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
26630 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
26631 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
26632 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
26633 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
26636 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
26637 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
26638 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
26639 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
26642 @item gnus-save-killed-list
26643 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
26644 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
26645 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
26646 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
26652 @subsection Slow Machine
26653 @cindex slow machine
26655 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
26656 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
26658 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
26659 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
26661 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
26662 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
26663 summary buffer faster.
26667 @node Troubleshooting
26668 @section Troubleshooting
26669 @cindex troubleshooting
26671 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
26679 Make sure your computer is switched on.
26682 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
26683 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
26687 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
26688 like @samp{T-gnus 6.17.* (based on Gnus v5.10.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
26689 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old
26690 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
26693 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
26694 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
26697 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
26698 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
26699 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
26700 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
26701 something like that.
26704 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
26707 @cindex reporting bugs
26709 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26711 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
26712 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
26713 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
26714 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
26716 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
26717 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
26718 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
26719 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
26722 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
26723 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
26724 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
26725 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
26726 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
26727 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
26729 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
26730 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
26731 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
26735 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
26736 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
26739 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
26740 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
26741 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
26742 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
26743 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
26744 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
26745 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
26746 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
26747 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
26748 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
26749 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
26750 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
26751 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
26752 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
26757 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
26758 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
26759 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
26760 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
26761 helps isolating the real problem areas).
26763 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
26764 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
26765 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
26766 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
26767 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
26768 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
26769 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
26770 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
26771 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
26772 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
26773 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
26774 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
26775 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
26778 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
26779 @cindex ding mailing list
26780 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
26781 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
26782 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
26783 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
26787 @node Gnus Reference Guide
26788 @section Gnus Reference Guide
26790 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
26791 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
26792 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
26793 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
26796 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
26797 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
26798 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
26799 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
26800 and general methods of operation.
26803 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
26804 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
26805 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
26806 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
26807 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
26808 * Group Info:: The group info format.
26809 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
26810 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
26811 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
26815 @node Gnus Utility Functions
26816 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
26817 @cindex Gnus utility functions
26818 @cindex utility functions
26820 @cindex internal variables
26822 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
26823 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
26824 Below is a list of the most common ones.
26828 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
26829 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
26830 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
26832 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
26833 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
26834 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
26836 @item gnus-group-real-name
26837 @findex gnus-group-real-name
26838 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
26841 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
26842 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
26843 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
26844 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
26846 @item gnus-get-info
26847 @findex gnus-get-info
26848 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
26850 @item gnus-group-unread
26851 @findex gnus-group-unread
26852 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
26856 @findex gnus-active
26857 The active entry for @var{group}.
26859 @item gnus-set-active
26860 @findex gnus-set-active
26861 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
26863 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26864 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26865 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
26868 @item gnus-continuum-version
26869 @findex gnus-continuum-version
26870 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
26871 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
26874 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
26875 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
26876 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
26878 @item gnus-news-group-p
26879 @findex gnus-news-group-p
26880 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
26882 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
26883 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
26884 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
26886 @item gnus-server-to-method
26887 @findex gnus-server-to-method
26888 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
26890 @item gnus-server-equal
26891 @findex gnus-server-equal
26892 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
26894 @item gnus-group-native-p
26895 @findex gnus-group-native-p
26896 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
26898 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
26899 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
26900 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
26902 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
26903 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
26904 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
26906 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
26907 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
26908 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
26909 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
26911 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
26912 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
26913 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
26915 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
26916 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
26917 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
26919 @item gnus-check-backend-function
26920 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
26921 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
26922 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
26925 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
26929 @item gnus-read-method
26930 @findex gnus-read-method
26931 Prompts the user for a select method.
26936 @node Back End Interface
26937 @subsection Back End Interface
26939 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
26940 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
26941 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
26942 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
26943 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
26944 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
26946 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
26947 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
26948 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
26949 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
26950 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
26951 been opened, the function should fail.
26953 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
26954 name. Take this example:
26958 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
26959 (nntp-port-number 4324))
26962 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
26963 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
26965 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
26966 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
26967 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
26969 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
26970 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
26971 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
26973 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
26974 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
26975 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
26976 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
26977 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
26978 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
26981 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
26982 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
26983 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
26984 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
26987 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
26988 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
26989 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
26990 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
26991 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
26992 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
26993 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
26994 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
26995 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
26996 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
26998 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
26999 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
27000 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
27001 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
27002 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
27003 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
27004 of numbers as long as possible.
27006 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
27007 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
27008 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
27010 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
27013 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
27016 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
27017 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
27018 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
27019 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
27020 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
27021 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
27025 @node Required Back End Functions
27026 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
27030 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
27032 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
27033 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
27034 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
27035 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
27037 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
27038 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
27039 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
27040 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
27042 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
27043 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
27044 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
27045 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
27046 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
27047 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
27048 number, do maximum fetches.
27050 Here's an example HEAD:
27053 221 1056 Article retrieved.
27054 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
27055 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
27056 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
27057 Subject: Re: Something very droll
27058 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
27059 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
27061 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
27062 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
27063 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
27067 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
27068 these in the data buffer.
27070 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
27074 head = error / valid-head
27075 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
27076 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
27077 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
27078 header = <text> eol
27082 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
27084 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
27085 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
27089 nov-buffer = *nov-line
27090 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
27091 field = <text except TAB>
27094 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
27098 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
27100 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
27101 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
27103 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
27104 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
27105 server. In fact, it should do so.
27107 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
27108 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
27111 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
27113 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
27114 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
27117 There should be no data returned.
27120 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
27122 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
27123 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
27124 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
27125 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
27127 There should be no data returned.
27130 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
27132 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
27133 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
27134 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
27135 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
27137 There should be no data returned.
27140 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
27142 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
27144 There should be no data returned.
27147 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
27149 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
27150 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
27151 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
27152 it would be nice if that were possible.
27154 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
27155 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
27156 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
27157 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
27158 into its article buffer.
27160 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
27161 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
27162 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
27163 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
27164 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
27165 on successful article retrieval.
27168 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
27170 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
27171 making @var{group} the current group.
27173 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
27176 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
27179 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
27182 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
27183 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
27184 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
27185 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
27186 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
27187 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
27188 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
27189 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
27190 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
27194 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
27195 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
27196 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
27200 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
27202 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
27203 a no-op on most back ends.
27205 There should be no data returned.
27208 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
27210 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
27213 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
27216 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
27217 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
27220 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
27221 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
27222 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
27223 and the highest as 0.
27226 active-file = *active-line
27227 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
27229 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
27232 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
27233 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
27234 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
27237 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
27239 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
27240 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
27241 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
27242 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
27243 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
27244 clear if the posting could not be completed.
27246 There should be no result data from this function.
27251 @node Optional Back End Functions
27252 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
27256 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
27258 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
27259 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
27260 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
27262 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
27263 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
27264 former is in the same format as the data from
27265 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
27266 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
27269 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
27273 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
27275 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
27276 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
27277 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
27278 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
27279 should return a non-@code{nil} value.
27281 There should be no result data from this function.
27284 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
27286 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
27287 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
27288 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
27289 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
27290 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
27291 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
27292 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
27293 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
27295 There should be no result data from this function.
27298 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
27300 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
27301 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
27302 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
27303 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
27304 propagate the mark information to the server.
27306 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
27309 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
27312 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
27313 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
27314 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
27315 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
27316 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
27317 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
27318 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
27319 possible, not limit itself to these.
27321 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
27322 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
27323 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
27324 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
27326 An example action list:
27329 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
27330 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
27331 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
27334 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
27335 mark on (currently not used for anything).
27337 There should be no result data from this function.
27339 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
27341 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
27342 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
27343 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
27344 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
27345 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
27347 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
27348 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
27349 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
27352 There should be no result data from this function.
27355 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
27357 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
27358 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
27359 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
27360 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
27361 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
27362 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
27363 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
27364 local if that's practical.
27366 There should be no result data from this function.
27369 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
27371 The result data from this function should be a description of
27375 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
27377 description = <text>
27380 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
27382 The result data from this function should be the description of all
27383 groups available on the server.
27386 description-buffer = *description-line
27390 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
27392 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
27393 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
27394 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
27395 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
27396 in the active buffer format.
27398 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
27399 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
27400 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
27401 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
27402 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
27403 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
27404 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
27407 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
27409 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
27411 There should be no return data.
27414 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
27416 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
27417 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
27418 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
27419 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
27420 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
27423 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
27426 There should be no result data returned.
27429 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
27431 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
27432 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
27434 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
27435 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
27436 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
27437 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
27438 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
27439 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
27441 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
27442 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
27445 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
27446 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
27448 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
27449 article for that group.
27451 There should be no data returned.
27454 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
27456 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
27457 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
27458 this function in short order.
27460 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
27461 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
27463 There should be no data returned.
27466 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
27468 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
27469 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
27471 There should be no data returned.
27474 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
27476 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
27477 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
27478 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
27480 There should be no data returned.
27483 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
27485 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
27486 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
27488 There should be no data returned.
27493 @node Error Messaging
27494 @subsubsection Error Messaging
27496 @findex nnheader-report
27497 @findex nnheader-get-report
27498 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
27499 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
27500 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
27501 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
27502 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
27503 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
27506 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
27508 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
27511 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
27512 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
27513 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
27514 takes one argument---the server symbol.
27516 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
27517 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
27518 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
27521 @node Writing New Back Ends
27522 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
27524 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
27525 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
27526 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
27527 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
27528 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
27531 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
27532 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
27533 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
27535 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
27536 package called @code{nnoo}.
27538 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
27539 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
27545 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
27546 parameters. For instance:
27549 (nnoo-declare nndir
27553 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
27554 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
27557 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
27558 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
27559 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
27561 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
27562 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
27563 a function in those back ends.
27566 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
27567 "Where nndir will look for groups."
27568 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
27571 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
27572 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
27573 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
27575 @item nnoo-define-basics
27576 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
27580 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
27584 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
27585 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
27586 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
27588 @item nnoo-map-functions
27589 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
27590 functions from the parent back ends.
27593 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
27594 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27595 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
27598 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
27599 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
27600 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
27601 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
27604 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
27605 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
27606 haven't already been defined.
27612 nnmh-request-newgroups)
27616 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
27617 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
27618 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
27623 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
27626 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
27627 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
27631 (require 'nnheader)
27635 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
27637 (nnoo-declare nndir
27640 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
27641 "Where nndir will look for groups."
27642 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
27644 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
27645 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
27648 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
27650 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
27651 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
27652 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
27654 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
27655 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
27657 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
27659 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
27661 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
27662 (setq nndir-directory
27663 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
27665 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
27666 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
27667 (push `(nndir-current-group
27668 ,(file-name-nondirectory
27669 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
27671 (push `(nndir-top-directory
27672 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
27674 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
27676 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
27677 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27678 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27679 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
27680 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
27684 nnmh-status-message
27686 nnmh-request-newgroups))
27692 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27693 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27695 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
27696 @findex gnus-declare-backend
27697 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
27698 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
27699 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
27701 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
27702 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
27707 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
27710 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
27712 The abilities can be:
27716 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
27718 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
27720 This back end supports both mail and news.
27722 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
27725 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
27726 articles and groups.
27728 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
27729 true for almost all back ends.
27730 @item prompt-address
27731 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
27732 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
27733 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
27737 @node Mail-like Back Ends
27738 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
27740 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
27741 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
27742 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
27743 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
27746 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
27747 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
27748 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
27751 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
27752 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
27755 This function takes four parameters.
27759 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
27762 @item exit-function
27763 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
27765 @item temp-directory
27766 Where the temporary files should be stored.
27769 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
27770 performed for one group only.
27773 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
27774 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
27775 find the article number assigned to this article.
27777 The function also uses the following variables:
27778 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
27779 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
27780 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
27781 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
27785 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
27786 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
27790 @node Score File Syntax
27791 @subsection Score File Syntax
27793 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
27794 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
27795 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
27797 Here's a typical score file:
27801 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
27808 BNF definition of a score file:
27811 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
27812 element = rule / atom
27813 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
27814 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
27815 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
27816 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
27818 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
27819 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
27820 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
27821 date-header = "date"
27822 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27823 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27824 score = "nil" / <integer>
27825 date = "nil" / <natural number>
27826 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
27827 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
27828 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
27829 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
27830 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27831 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27832 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
27833 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27834 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
27835 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
27836 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
27837 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
27838 exclude-files / read-only / touched
27839 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
27840 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
27841 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
27842 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
27843 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
27844 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
27845 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
27846 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
27847 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
27848 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
27849 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
27850 eval = "eval" space <form>
27851 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
27854 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
27857 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
27858 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
27859 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
27860 one looong line, then that's ok.
27862 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
27863 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27867 @subsection Headers
27869 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
27870 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
27871 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
27872 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
27874 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
27875 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
27876 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
27877 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
27878 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
27879 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
27880 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
27882 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
27883 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
27884 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
27885 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
27886 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
27888 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
27889 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
27895 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
27896 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
27898 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
27899 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
27900 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
27901 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
27903 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
27907 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
27910 is transformed into
27913 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
27916 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
27917 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
27920 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
27923 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
27924 is slightly tricky:
27927 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
27933 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
27936 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
27942 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
27949 and is equal to the previous range.
27951 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
27952 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
27953 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
27957 range = simple-range / normal-range
27958 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
27959 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
27960 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
27961 number *[ " " contents ]
27964 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
27965 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
27966 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
27967 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
27968 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
27973 @subsection Group Info
27975 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
27976 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
27977 describes the group.
27979 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
27980 second is a more complex one:
27983 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
27985 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
27986 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
27988 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
27991 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
27992 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
27993 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
27994 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
27995 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
27996 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
27997 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
27998 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
27999 this section is about.
28001 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
28002 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
28003 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
28005 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
28008 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
28009 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
28010 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28011 group = quote <string> quote
28012 ralevel = rank / level
28013 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28014 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
28015 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28017 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
28018 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
28019 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
28020 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
28023 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
28024 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
28027 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
28028 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
28031 @item gnus-info-group
28032 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
28033 @findex gnus-info-group
28034 @findex gnus-info-set-group
28035 Get/set the group name.
28037 @item gnus-info-rank
28038 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
28039 @findex gnus-info-rank
28040 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
28041 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
28043 @item gnus-info-level
28044 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
28045 @findex gnus-info-level
28046 @findex gnus-info-set-level
28047 Get/set the group level.
28049 @item gnus-info-score
28050 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
28051 @findex gnus-info-score
28052 @findex gnus-info-set-score
28053 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
28055 @item gnus-info-read
28056 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
28057 @findex gnus-info-read
28058 @findex gnus-info-set-read
28059 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
28061 @item gnus-info-marks
28062 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
28063 @findex gnus-info-marks
28064 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
28065 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
28067 @item gnus-info-method
28068 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
28069 @findex gnus-info-method
28070 @findex gnus-info-set-method
28071 Get/set the group select method.
28073 @item gnus-info-params
28074 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
28075 @findex gnus-info-params
28076 @findex gnus-info-set-params
28077 Get/set the group parameters.
28080 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
28081 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
28083 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
28084 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
28085 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
28086 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
28089 @node Extended Interactive
28090 @subsection Extended Interactive
28091 @cindex interactive
28092 @findex gnus-interactive
28094 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
28095 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
28096 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
28099 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
28100 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
28105 The best thing to do would have been to implement
28106 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
28107 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
28108 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
28109 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
28110 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
28111 @code{interactive}.
28113 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
28118 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
28119 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
28123 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
28124 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
28125 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
28128 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
28132 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
28136 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
28142 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
28143 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
28147 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
28148 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
28149 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
28151 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
28152 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
28153 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
28154 Gnus, that's very useful.
28156 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
28157 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
28158 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
28159 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
28160 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
28161 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
28162 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
28163 following function:
28166 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
28170 (,function ,@@args))
28174 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
28175 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
28176 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
28179 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
28180 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
28181 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
28183 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
28184 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
28185 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
28188 @node Various File Formats
28189 @subsection Various File Formats
28192 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
28193 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
28197 @node Active File Format
28198 @subsubsection Active File Format
28200 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
28201 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
28204 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
28207 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
28208 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
28209 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
28210 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
28211 no.general 1000 900 y
28214 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
28217 active = *group-line
28218 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
28219 group = <non-white-space string>
28221 high-number = <non-negative integer>
28222 low-number = <positive integer>
28223 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
28226 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
28227 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
28230 @node Newsgroups File Format
28231 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
28233 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
28234 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
28235 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
28238 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
28239 Here's the definition:
28243 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
28244 group = <non-white-space string>
28246 description = <string>
28251 @node Emacs for Heathens
28252 @section Emacs for Heathens
28254 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
28255 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
28256 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
28257 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
28258 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
28259 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
28260 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
28264 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
28265 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
28270 @subsection Keystrokes
28274 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
28277 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
28280 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
28281 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
28282 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
28283 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
28284 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
28285 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
28287 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
28288 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
28289 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
28290 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
28291 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
28292 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
28293 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
28295 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
28296 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
28297 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
28298 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
28299 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
28300 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
28301 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
28303 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
28304 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
28305 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
28306 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
28307 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
28313 @subsection Emacs Lisp
28315 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
28316 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
28317 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
28318 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
28320 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
28321 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
28322 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
28323 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
28324 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
28325 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
28326 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
28329 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
28330 write the following:
28333 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
28336 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
28337 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
28338 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
28341 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
28342 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
28343 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
28344 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
28345 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
28347 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
28348 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
28349 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
28353 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
28357 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
28360 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
28361 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
28364 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
28367 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
28368 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
28371 @include gnus-faq.texi
28391 @c Local Variables:
28393 @c coding: iso-8859-1