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9 @c * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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265 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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274 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
276 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
277 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
278 are preserved on all copies.
280 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
281 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
282 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
283 permission notice identical to this one.
285 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
286 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
295 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
297 Copyright (C) 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
299 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
300 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
301 are preserved on all copies.
304 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
305 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
306 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
307 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
310 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
311 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
312 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
313 permission notice identical to this one.
315 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
316 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
322 @title T-gnus 6.14 Manual
324 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
327 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
328 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
330 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
331 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
332 are preserved on all copies.
334 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
335 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
336 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
337 permission notice identical to this one.
339 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
340 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
349 @top The gnus Newsreader
353 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
354 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
355 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
358 T-gnus provides MIME features based on SEMI API. So T-gnus supports
359 your right to read strange messages including big images or other
360 various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
361 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
362 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
363 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
365 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.14.
376 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
377 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
379 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
380 being accused of plagiarism:
382 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
383 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
384 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
385 can even read news with it!
387 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
388 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
389 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
390 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
391 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
397 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
398 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
399 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
400 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
401 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
402 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
403 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
404 * Various:: General purpose settings.
405 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
406 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
407 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
408 * Key Index:: Key Index.
411 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
415 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
416 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
417 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
418 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
419 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
420 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
421 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
422 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
423 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
424 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
425 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
429 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
430 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
431 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
435 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
436 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
437 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
438 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
439 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
440 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
441 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
442 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
443 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
444 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
445 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
446 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
447 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
448 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
449 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
450 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
451 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
455 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
456 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
457 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
461 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
462 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
463 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
464 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
465 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
469 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
470 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
471 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
472 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
476 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
477 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
478 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
479 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
480 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
481 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
482 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
483 * Threading:: How threads are made.
484 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
485 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
486 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
487 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
488 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
489 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
490 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
491 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
492 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
493 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
494 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
495 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
496 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
497 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
498 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
499 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
500 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
501 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
502 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
503 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
505 Summary Buffer Format
507 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
508 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
509 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
510 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
514 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
515 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
517 Reply, Followup and Post
519 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
520 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
521 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
522 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
526 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
527 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
528 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
532 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
533 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
534 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
538 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
539 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
541 Customizing Threading
543 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
544 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
545 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
546 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
550 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
551 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
552 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
553 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
554 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
555 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
559 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
560 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
561 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
565 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
566 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
567 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
568 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
569 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
570 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
571 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
572 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
574 Alternative Approaches
576 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
577 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
579 Various Summary Stuff
581 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
582 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
583 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
584 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
588 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
589 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
590 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
591 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
592 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
596 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
597 * Post:: Posting and following up.
598 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
599 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
600 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
601 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
602 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
603 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
607 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
608 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
609 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
610 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
611 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
612 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
613 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
617 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
618 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
619 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
620 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
621 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
622 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
623 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
627 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
628 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
632 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
633 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
634 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
635 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
636 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
637 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
638 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
639 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
640 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
641 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
642 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
643 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
644 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
648 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
649 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
650 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
652 Choosing a Mail Backend
654 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
655 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
656 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
657 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
658 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
659 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
663 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
664 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
665 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
666 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
670 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
671 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
672 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
673 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
674 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
675 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
679 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
683 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
684 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
685 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
689 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
690 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
691 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
695 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
696 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
700 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
701 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
702 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
703 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
704 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
705 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
706 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
707 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
708 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
712 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
713 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
714 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
718 * Group Agent Commands::
719 * Summary Agent Commands::
720 * Server Agent Commands::
724 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
725 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
726 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
727 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
728 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
729 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
730 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
731 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
732 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
733 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
734 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
735 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
736 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
737 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
738 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
739 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
743 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
744 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
745 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
746 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
750 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
751 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
752 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
756 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
757 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
758 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
759 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
760 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
761 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
762 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
763 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
764 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
765 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
766 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
767 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
768 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
769 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
770 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
771 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
772 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
773 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
777 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
778 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
779 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
780 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
781 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
785 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
786 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
787 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
788 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
792 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
793 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
794 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
795 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
796 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
800 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
801 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
802 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
803 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
804 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
805 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
806 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
807 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
811 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
812 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
813 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
814 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
815 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
816 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
817 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
818 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
819 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
820 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
824 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
825 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
826 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
827 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
831 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
832 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
833 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
834 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
838 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
839 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
840 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
841 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
842 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
843 * Group Info:: The group info format.
844 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
845 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
846 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
850 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
851 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
852 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
853 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
854 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
855 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
859 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
860 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
864 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
865 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
871 @chapter Starting gnus
876 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
877 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
880 @findex gnus-other-frame
881 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
882 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
883 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
885 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
886 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
887 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
889 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
890 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
893 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
894 * The First Time:: What does gnus do the first time you start it?
895 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
896 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one gnus active at a time.
897 * Fetching a Group:: Starting gnus just to read a group.
898 * New Groups:: What is gnus supposed to do with new groups?
899 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
900 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
901 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
902 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
903 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
907 @node Finding the News
908 @section Finding the News
911 @vindex gnus-select-method
913 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
914 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
915 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
916 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
919 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
920 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
923 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
926 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
929 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
932 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
933 certainly be much faster.
935 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
937 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
938 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
939 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
940 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
941 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
942 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
944 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
945 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
946 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
947 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
949 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
950 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
951 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
952 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
953 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
954 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
955 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
956 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
957 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
960 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
962 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
963 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
964 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
965 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
966 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
967 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
969 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
971 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
972 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
973 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
974 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
975 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
976 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
979 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
980 would typically set this variable to
983 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
988 @section The First Time
989 @cindex first time usage
991 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
992 be subscribed by default.
994 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
995 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
996 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
997 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1000 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1001 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1002 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1004 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1005 help you with most common problems.
1007 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1008 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1012 @node The Server is Down
1013 @section The Server is Down
1014 @cindex server errors
1016 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1017 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1018 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1020 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1021 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1022 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1023 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1024 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1025 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1026 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1028 @findex gnus-no-server
1029 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1031 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1032 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1033 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1034 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1035 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1036 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1041 @section Slave Gnusae
1044 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1045 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1046 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1047 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1049 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1050 @code{.newsrc} file.
1052 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1053 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1054 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1055 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1056 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1057 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1058 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1060 Anyways, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1061 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1062 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1063 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1064 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1065 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1066 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1067 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1069 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1070 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1073 @node Fetching a Group
1074 @section Fetching a Group
1075 @cindex fetching a group
1077 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1078 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1079 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1080 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1081 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1082 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1088 @cindex subscription
1090 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1091 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1092 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1093 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1094 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1095 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1096 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1097 @code{always}, then gnus will query the backends for new groups even
1098 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1101 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1102 * Subscription Methods:: What gnus should do with new groups.
1103 * Filtering New Groups:: Making gnus ignore certain new groups.
1107 @node Checking New Groups
1108 @subsection Checking New Groups
1110 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1111 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1112 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1113 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1114 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1115 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1116 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1117 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1118 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1119 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1121 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1122 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1123 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1124 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1125 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1126 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1127 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1128 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1129 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1130 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1131 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1133 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1134 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1135 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1136 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1137 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1138 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1141 @node Subscription Methods
1142 @subsection Subscription Methods
1144 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1145 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1146 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1148 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1149 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1151 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1155 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1156 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1157 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1158 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1159 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1161 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1162 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1163 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1164 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1166 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1167 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1168 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1170 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1171 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1172 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1173 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1174 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1175 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1176 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1177 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1178 up. Or something like that.
1180 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1181 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1182 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1183 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1184 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1186 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1187 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1188 Kill all new groups.
1190 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1191 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1192 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1193 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1194 topic parameter that looks like
1200 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1203 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1208 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1209 A closely related variable is
1210 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1211 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1212 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1213 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1216 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1217 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1218 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1219 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1222 @node Filtering New Groups
1223 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1225 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1226 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1227 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1230 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1233 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1234 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1235 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1236 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1237 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1238 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1239 subscribing these groups.
1240 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1241 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1243 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1244 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1245 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1246 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1247 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1248 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1249 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1250 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1252 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1253 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1254 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1255 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1256 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1257 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1258 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1259 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1260 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1261 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1263 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1264 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1267 @node Changing Servers
1268 @section Changing Servers
1269 @cindex changing servers
1271 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1272 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1273 very flaky and you want to use another.
1275 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1276 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1280 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1281 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1282 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1283 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1286 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1287 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1288 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1289 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1291 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1292 @findex gnus-change-server
1293 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1294 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1295 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1296 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1297 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1299 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1300 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1301 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1302 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1303 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1305 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1306 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1307 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1308 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1309 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1310 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1312 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1313 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1314 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1318 @section Startup Files
1319 @cindex startup files
1324 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1325 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1327 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1328 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1329 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1330 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1331 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1332 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1333 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1335 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1336 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1337 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1338 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1339 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1340 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1342 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1343 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1344 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1345 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1346 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1347 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1348 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1349 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1350 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1351 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1353 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1354 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1355 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1356 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1357 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1358 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1359 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1360 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1361 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1362 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1363 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1364 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1366 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1367 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1368 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1369 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1371 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1372 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1373 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1374 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1375 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1376 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1377 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1378 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1379 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1380 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1383 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1384 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1386 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1387 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1390 @vindex gnus-init-file
1391 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1392 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1393 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1394 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1395 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1396 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1397 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1398 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1399 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1405 @cindex dribble file
1408 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1409 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1410 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1411 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1412 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1415 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1416 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1419 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1420 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1421 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1423 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1424 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1425 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1426 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1427 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1428 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1430 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1431 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1432 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1435 @node The Active File
1436 @section The Active File
1438 @cindex ignored groups
1440 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1441 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1442 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1444 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1445 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1446 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1447 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1448 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1449 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1450 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1453 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1454 @c if you set it to anything else.
1456 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1458 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1459 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1460 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1462 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1463 you actually subscribe to.
1465 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1466 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1467 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1468 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1470 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1471 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1472 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1473 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1474 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1475 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1477 Some news servers (Leafnode and old versions of INN, for instance) do
1478 not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these servers, @code{nil}
1479 is probably the most efficient value for this variable.
1481 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1482 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1483 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1484 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1485 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1486 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1488 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1489 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1491 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1492 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1494 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1495 secondary select methods.
1498 @node Startup Variables
1499 @section Startup Variables
1503 @item gnus-load-hook
1504 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1505 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1506 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1507 times you start gnus.
1509 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1510 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1511 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1513 @item gnus-startup-hook
1514 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1515 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1517 @item gnus-started-hook
1518 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1519 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1522 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1523 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1524 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1525 generating the group buffer.
1527 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1528 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1529 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1530 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1531 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1532 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1533 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1534 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1536 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1537 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1538 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1539 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1540 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1541 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1543 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1544 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1545 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1547 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1548 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1549 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1551 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1552 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1553 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1554 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1559 @node The Group Buffer
1560 @chapter The Group Buffer
1561 @cindex group buffer
1563 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1564 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1565 long as gnus is active.
1569 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1570 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1571 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1572 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1573 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1574 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1575 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1576 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1582 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1583 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1584 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1585 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1586 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1587 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1588 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1589 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1590 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1591 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1592 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1593 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1594 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1595 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1596 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1597 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1598 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1602 @node Group Buffer Format
1603 @section Group Buffer Format
1606 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1607 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1608 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1612 @node Group Line Specification
1613 @subsection Group Line Specification
1614 @cindex group buffer format
1616 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1617 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1619 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1622 25: news.announce.newusers
1623 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1628 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1629 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1630 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1631 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1633 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1634 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1635 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1636 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1637 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1638 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1640 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1642 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1643 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1644 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1645 never examined by gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1648 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1649 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1650 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1652 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1657 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1660 Whether the group is subscribed.
1663 Level of subscribedness.
1666 Number of unread articles.
1669 Number of dormant articles.
1672 Number of ticked articles.
1675 Number of read articles.
1678 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1679 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1682 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1685 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1694 Newsgroup description.
1697 @samp{m} if moderated.
1700 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1709 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1713 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1716 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1717 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1718 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1719 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1720 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1723 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1725 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1729 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1733 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1734 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1735 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1736 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1737 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1738 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1743 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1744 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1745 group, or a bogus native group.
1748 @node Group Modeline Specification
1749 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1750 @cindex group modeline
1752 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1753 The mode line can be changed by setting
1754 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1755 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1759 The native news server.
1761 The native select method.
1765 @node Group Highlighting
1766 @subsection Group Highlighting
1767 @cindex highlighting
1768 @cindex group highlighting
1770 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1771 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1772 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1773 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1774 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1776 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1780 (cond (window-system
1781 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1782 (defface my-group-face-1
1783 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1784 (defface my-group-face-2
1785 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1786 (defface my-group-face-3
1787 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1788 (defface my-group-face-4
1789 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1790 (defface my-group-face-5
1791 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1793 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1794 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1795 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1796 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1797 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1798 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1801 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1803 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1810 The number of unread articles in the group.
1814 Whether the group is a mail group.
1816 The level of the group.
1818 The score of the group.
1820 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1822 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1823 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1825 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1826 topic being inserted.
1829 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1830 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1831 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1833 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1834 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1835 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1836 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1837 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1840 @node Group Maneuvering
1841 @section Group Maneuvering
1842 @cindex group movement
1844 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1845 expected, hopefully.
1851 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1852 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1853 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1859 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1860 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1861 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1865 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1866 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1870 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1871 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1875 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1876 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1877 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1881 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1882 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1883 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1886 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1892 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1893 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1894 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1899 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1900 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1901 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1905 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1906 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1907 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1910 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1911 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1912 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1913 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1917 @node Selecting a Group
1918 @section Selecting a Group
1919 @cindex group selection
1924 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1925 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1926 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1927 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1928 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1929 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1930 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1931 determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1932 positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1933 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
1937 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1938 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1939 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1940 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1941 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1945 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1946 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1947 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1948 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1949 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1950 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1951 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1952 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1953 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1954 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1957 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1958 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1959 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1960 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1961 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1964 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1965 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1966 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1967 doing any processing of its contents
1968 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1969 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1970 manner will have no permanent effects.
1974 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1975 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
1976 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1977 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
1978 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1979 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1980 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1981 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1984 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1985 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1986 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1987 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1992 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1993 full summary buffer.
1996 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1999 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
2004 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2005 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
2006 Useful functions include:
2009 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
2010 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
2011 don't select the article.
2013 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
2014 Select the first unread article.
2016 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
2017 Select the highest-scored unread article.
2021 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2022 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
2023 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2027 @node Subscription Commands
2028 @section Subscription Commands
2029 @cindex subscription
2037 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2038 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2039 Toggle subscription to the current group
2040 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2046 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2047 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2048 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2049 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2055 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2056 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2057 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2063 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2064 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2067 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2068 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2069 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2070 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2071 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2077 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2078 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2082 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2083 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2086 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2087 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2088 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2089 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2090 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2091 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2092 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2093 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2094 @file{.newsrc} file.
2098 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2108 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2109 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2110 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2111 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2112 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2113 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2118 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2119 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2120 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2124 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2125 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2126 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2128 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2129 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2130 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2131 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2132 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2133 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2140 @section Group Levels
2144 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2145 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2146 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2147 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2148 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2150 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2156 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2157 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2158 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2159 prompted for a level.
2162 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2163 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2164 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2165 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2166 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2167 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2168 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2169 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2170 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2171 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2172 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2173 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2174 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2175 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2176 reasons of efficiency.
2178 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2179 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2181 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2182 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2183 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2185 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2186 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2187 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2188 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2189 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2190 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2191 relevant valid ranges.
2193 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2194 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2195 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2196 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2197 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2198 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2201 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2202 one with the best level.
2204 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2205 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2206 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2209 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2210 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2211 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2212 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2215 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2216 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2217 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2218 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2220 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2221 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2222 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2223 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2224 to 5. The default is 6.
2228 @section Group Score
2233 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2234 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2235 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2238 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2239 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2240 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2241 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2242 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2243 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2244 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2245 least significant part.))
2247 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2248 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2249 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2250 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2251 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2252 action after each summary exit, you can add
2253 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2254 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2255 slow things down somewhat.
2258 @node Marking Groups
2259 @section Marking Groups
2260 @cindex marking groups
2262 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2263 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2264 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2265 bidding on those groups.
2267 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2268 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2269 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2277 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2278 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2284 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2285 Remove the mark from the current group
2286 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2290 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2291 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2295 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2296 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2300 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2301 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2305 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2306 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2307 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2310 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2312 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2313 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2314 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2315 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2316 the command to be executed.
2319 @node Foreign Groups
2320 @section Foreign Groups
2321 @cindex foreign groups
2323 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2324 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2325 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2326 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2333 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2334 @cindex making groups
2335 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2336 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2337 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2341 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2342 @cindex renaming groups
2343 Rename the current group to something else
2344 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2345 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2351 @findex gnus-group-customize
2352 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2356 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2357 @cindex renaming groups
2358 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2359 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2363 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2364 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2365 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2369 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2370 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2371 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2375 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2377 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2378 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2383 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2384 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2388 @cindex (ding) archive
2389 @cindex archive group
2390 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2391 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2392 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2393 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2394 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2395 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2396 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2400 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2402 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2403 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2404 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2405 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2409 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2411 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2412 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2413 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2417 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2418 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2420 Make a group based on some file or other
2421 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2422 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2423 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
2424 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
2425 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
2426 If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2427 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2431 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2432 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2433 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2434 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2438 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2443 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2444 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2445 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2446 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2447 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2448 @xref{Web Searches}.
2450 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2451 to a particular group by using a match string like
2452 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2455 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2456 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2457 This function will delete the current group
2458 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2459 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2460 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2461 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2462 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2466 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2467 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2468 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2472 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2473 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2474 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2477 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2480 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2481 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2482 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2483 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2484 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2485 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2489 @node Group Parameters
2490 @section Group Parameters
2491 @cindex group parameters
2493 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2494 Here's an example group parameter list:
2497 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2501 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2502 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2503 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2504 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2506 The following group parameters can be used:
2511 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2514 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2517 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2518 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2519 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2520 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2521 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2523 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2524 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2525 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2526 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2527 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2528 list address instead.
2532 Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group.
2535 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2538 It is totally ignored
2539 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2540 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2542 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2543 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2544 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2545 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2546 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2548 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2549 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2550 sending the message.
2554 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2555 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2556 of whether it has any unread articles.
2558 @item broken-reply-to
2559 @cindex broken-reply-to
2560 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2561 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2562 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2563 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2564 broken behavior. So there!
2568 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2569 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2573 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2574 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2575 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2580 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2581 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2582 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2583 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2584 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2585 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2586 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2590 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2591 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2592 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2595 @cindex total-expire
2596 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2597 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2598 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2599 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2604 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2605 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2606 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2607 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2608 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2609 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2612 @cindex score file group parameter
2613 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2614 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2615 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2618 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2619 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2620 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2621 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2624 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2625 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2626 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2627 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2630 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2631 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2635 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2638 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2643 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2644 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2645 gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2649 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2650 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2651 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2653 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2654 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2655 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2656 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2657 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2658 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2659 @code{eval}ed there.
2661 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2662 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2663 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2664 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2665 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2668 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2669 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2670 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2671 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2672 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2674 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2675 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2676 like this in the group parameters:
2681 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2686 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
2687 might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
2691 @node Listing Groups
2692 @section Listing Groups
2693 @cindex group listing
2695 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2703 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2704 List all groups that have unread articles
2705 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2706 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2707 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2708 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2715 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2716 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2717 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2718 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2719 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2720 unsubscribed groups).
2724 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2725 List all unread groups on a specific level
2726 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2727 with no unread articles.
2731 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2732 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2733 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2734 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2739 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2740 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2744 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2745 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2746 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2750 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2751 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2755 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2756 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2757 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2758 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2759 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2760 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2761 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2762 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2766 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2767 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2768 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2772 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2773 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2774 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2778 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
2779 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
2783 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2784 @cindex visible group parameter
2785 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2786 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2787 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2788 get the same effect.
2790 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2791 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2792 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2793 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2794 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2797 @node Sorting Groups
2798 @section Sorting Groups
2799 @cindex sorting groups
2801 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2802 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2803 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2804 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2805 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2806 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2811 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2812 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2813 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2815 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2816 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2817 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2819 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2820 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2821 Sort by group level.
2823 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2824 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2825 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2827 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2828 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2829 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2830 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2832 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2833 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2834 Sort by number of unread articles.
2836 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2837 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2838 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2843 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2844 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2848 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2849 some sorting criteria:
2853 @kindex G S a (Group)
2854 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2855 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2856 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2859 @kindex G S u (Group)
2860 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2861 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2862 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2865 @kindex G S l (Group)
2866 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2867 Sort the group buffer by group level
2868 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2871 @kindex G S v (Group)
2872 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2873 Sort the group buffer by group score
2874 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2877 @kindex G S r (Group)
2878 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2879 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2880 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2883 @kindex G S m (Group)
2884 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2885 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2886 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2890 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
2891 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2893 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
2894 commands will sort in reverse order.
2896 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2900 @kindex G P a (Group)
2901 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2902 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
2903 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2906 @kindex G P u (Group)
2907 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2908 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
2909 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2912 @kindex G P l (Group)
2913 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2914 Sort the groups by group level
2915 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2918 @kindex G P v (Group)
2919 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2920 Sort the groups by group score
2921 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2924 @kindex G P r (Group)
2925 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2926 Sort the groups by group rank
2927 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2930 @kindex G P m (Group)
2931 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2932 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
2933 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2939 @node Group Maintenance
2940 @section Group Maintenance
2941 @cindex bogus groups
2946 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2947 Find bogus groups and delete them
2948 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2952 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
2953 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
2954 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
2955 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
2956 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
2960 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2961 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2962 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2963 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2966 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2967 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2968 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2969 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2974 @node Browse Foreign Server
2975 @section Browse Foreign Server
2976 @cindex foreign servers
2977 @cindex browsing servers
2982 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2983 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2984 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2985 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2988 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2989 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2990 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2991 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2993 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2998 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2999 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3003 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3004 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3007 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3008 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3009 Enter the current group and display the first article
3010 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3013 @kindex RET (Browse)
3014 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3015 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3019 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3020 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3021 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3027 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3028 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3032 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3033 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3034 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3039 @section Exiting gnus
3040 @cindex exiting gnus
3042 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3047 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3048 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3049 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3050 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3054 @findex gnus-group-exit
3055 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3056 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3060 @findex gnus-group-quit
3061 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3062 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3065 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3066 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3067 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3068 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3069 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3074 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3075 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3076 trying to customize meta-variables.
3081 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3082 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3083 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3089 @section Group Topics
3092 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3093 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3094 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3095 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3096 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3097 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3101 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3102 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
3113 2: alt.religion.emacs
3116 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3118 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3119 13: comp.sources.unix
3122 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3124 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3125 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3126 is a toggling command.)
3128 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3129 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
3130 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3131 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3134 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3135 the hook for the group mode:
3138 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3142 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3143 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3144 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3145 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3146 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3150 @node Topic Variables
3151 @subsection Topic Variables
3152 @cindex topic variables
3154 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
3155 really neat, I think.
3157 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3158 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3159 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3172 Number of groups in the topic.
3174 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3176 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3179 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3180 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3181 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3184 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3185 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3187 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3188 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3189 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3192 @node Topic Commands
3193 @subsection Topic Commands
3194 @cindex topic commands
3196 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3197 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3198 definitions slightly.
3204 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3205 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3206 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3210 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3211 Move the current group to some other topic
3212 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3213 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3217 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3218 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3222 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3223 Copy the current group to some other topic
3224 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3225 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3229 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3230 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3231 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3232 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3233 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3234 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3235 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3238 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3239 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3243 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3244 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3245 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3249 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3250 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3251 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3255 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3256 Toggle hiding empty topics
3257 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3261 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3262 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3263 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3266 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3267 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3268 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3269 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3273 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3275 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3276 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3277 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3278 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3281 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3282 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3283 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3284 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3288 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3290 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3291 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3292 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3293 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3294 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3295 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3298 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3299 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3300 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the expiry
3301 process (if any) (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}).
3305 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3306 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3307 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3311 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3312 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3313 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3318 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3319 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3322 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3323 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3324 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3328 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3329 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3330 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3334 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3335 @cindex group parameters
3336 @cindex topic parameters
3338 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3339 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3345 @subsection Topic Sorting
3346 @cindex topic sorting
3348 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3354 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3355 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3356 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3357 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3360 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3361 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3362 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3363 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3366 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3367 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3368 Sort the current topic by group level
3369 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3372 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3373 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3374 Sort the current topic by group score
3375 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3378 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3379 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3380 Sort the current topic by group rank
3381 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3384 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3385 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3386 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
3387 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3391 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3394 @node Topic Topology
3395 @subsection Topic Topology
3396 @cindex topic topology
3399 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3405 2: alt.religion.emacs
3408 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3410 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3411 13: comp.sources.unix
3414 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3415 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3416 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3421 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3422 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3426 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3427 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3428 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3429 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3430 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3431 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3433 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3434 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3435 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3438 @node Topic Parameters
3439 @subsection Topic Parameters
3440 @cindex topic parameters
3442 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3443 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3444 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3446 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3451 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3452 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3453 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3458 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3459 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3460 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3461 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3467 2: alt.religion.emacs
3471 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3473 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3474 13: comp.sources.unix
3478 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3479 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3480 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3481 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3482 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3483 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3485 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3486 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3487 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3488 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3489 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3491 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3492 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3493 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3494 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3495 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3496 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3497 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3498 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3501 @node Misc Group Stuff
3502 @section Misc Group Stuff
3505 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3506 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and gnus.
3507 * Group Timestamp:: Making gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3508 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the gnus files.
3515 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3516 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3517 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
3521 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3522 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3523 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3527 @findex gnus-group-mail
3528 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3532 Variables for the group buffer:
3536 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3537 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3538 is called after the group buffer has been
3541 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3542 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3543 is called after the group buffer is
3544 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3547 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3548 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3549 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3550 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3552 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3553 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3554 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3555 whether they are empty or not.
3557 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3558 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3559 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3560 non-ASCII group names.
3564 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3565 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3568 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3569 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3570 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
3571 It is used to show non-ASCII group names.
3575 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3576 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3581 @node Scanning New Messages
3582 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3583 @cindex new messages
3584 @cindex scanning new news
3590 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3591 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3592 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3593 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3594 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3595 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3600 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3601 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3602 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3603 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3604 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3605 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3606 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3608 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3609 @cindex activating groups
3611 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3612 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3617 @findex gnus-group-restart
3618 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3619 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3620 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
3624 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3625 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3627 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3628 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3632 @node Group Information
3633 @subsection Group Information
3634 @cindex group information
3635 @cindex information on groups
3642 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3643 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3646 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3647 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3648 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3649 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3650 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3651 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3652 for fetching the file.
3654 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
3655 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3659 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3661 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3662 @cindex describing groups
3663 @cindex group description
3664 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3665 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3666 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3670 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3671 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3672 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3679 @findex gnus-version
3680 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3684 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3685 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3688 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3691 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3692 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3696 @node Group Timestamp
3697 @subsection Group Timestamp
3699 @cindex group timestamps
3701 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
3702 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3703 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3706 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3709 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3711 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3712 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3715 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3716 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3719 This will result in lines looking like:
3722 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3723 0: custom 19961002T012713
3726 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3727 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3731 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3732 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3737 @subsection File Commands
3738 @cindex file commands
3744 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3745 @vindex gnus-init-file
3746 @cindex reading init file
3747 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3748 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3752 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3753 @cindex saving .newsrc
3754 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3755 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3756 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3759 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3760 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3761 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3766 @node The Summary Buffer
3767 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3768 @cindex summary buffer
3770 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3771 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3773 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3774 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3776 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3779 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3780 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3781 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3782 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3783 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3784 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3785 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3786 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3787 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3788 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3789 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3790 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3791 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3792 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3793 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3794 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3795 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3796 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
3797 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3798 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3799 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3800 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3801 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3802 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3803 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3804 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3805 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3806 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3810 @node Summary Buffer Format
3811 @section Summary Buffer Format
3812 @cindex summary buffer format
3816 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3817 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3818 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3824 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3825 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3826 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3827 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3830 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3831 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3832 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3833 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3834 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3835 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
3836 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3837 fast, and too simplistic solution;
3838 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
3839 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
3840 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
3841 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
3842 other function instead:
3845 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3846 'mail-extract-address-components)
3849 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3850 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3851 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3852 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3855 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3856 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3858 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3859 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3860 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3861 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3862 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3864 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3866 The following format specification characters are understood:
3872 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
3873 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
3875 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3876 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3877 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
3879 Full @code{From} header.
3881 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3883 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
3884 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
3886 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3887 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3888 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3889 may be more thorough.
3891 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3894 Number of lines in the article.
3896 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
3897 methods (like nnfolder).
3899 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3901 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3902 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3904 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3905 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3907 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3908 for adopted articles.
3910 One space for each thread level.
3912 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3917 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
3918 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
3922 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
3924 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3925 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3926 default level. If the difference between
3927 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
3928 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3936 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3938 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
3944 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3945 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3947 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3948 article has any children.
3954 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3955 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
3956 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3957 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3958 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3959 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3962 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3963 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
3964 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3965 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
3966 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3967 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3969 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3970 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3972 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
3975 @node To From Newsgroups
3976 @subsection To From Newsgroups
3980 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
3981 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
3982 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
3983 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
3984 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
3988 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
3989 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
3990 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
3994 (setq gnus-extra-headers
3995 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
3998 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
3999 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4002 @findex gnus-extra-header
4003 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4004 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4005 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4008 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4012 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4013 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4014 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4015 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4016 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4017 headers are used instead.
4021 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4022 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4023 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4024 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4027 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4028 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4029 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4030 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4032 In summary, you'd typically do something like the following:
4035 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4037 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4038 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4039 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
4040 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4044 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4045 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4052 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4053 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4056 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4057 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4059 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4060 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4061 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4062 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4064 Here are the elements you can play with:
4070 Unprefixed group name.
4072 Current article number.
4074 Current article score.
4078 Number of unread articles in this group.
4080 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4083 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4084 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4085 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4086 and no unselected ones.
4088 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4089 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4091 Subject of the current article.
4093 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4095 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4097 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4099 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4101 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4103 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4107 @node Summary Highlighting
4108 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4112 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4113 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4114 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4115 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4116 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4118 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4119 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4120 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4121 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4123 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4124 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4125 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4126 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4128 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4129 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4130 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4131 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4132 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4133 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4136 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4137 ((> score default) . bold))
4139 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4140 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4144 @node Summary Maneuvering
4145 @section Summary Maneuvering
4146 @cindex summary movement
4148 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4149 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4151 None of these commands select articles.
4156 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4157 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4158 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4159 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4160 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4164 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4165 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4166 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4167 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4168 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4173 @kindex G j (Summary)
4174 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4175 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4176 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4179 @kindex G g (Summary)
4180 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4181 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4182 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4185 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4186 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4187 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4188 to the group buffer.
4190 Variables related to summary movement:
4194 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4195 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4196 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4197 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4198 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4199 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4200 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4201 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4202 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
4203 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4204 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4205 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4206 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4207 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4209 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4210 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4211 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4212 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4213 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4214 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4215 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4217 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4219 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4220 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4221 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4222 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4223 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4225 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4226 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4227 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4228 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4229 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4230 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4231 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4232 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4235 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4236 the given number of lines from the top.
4241 @node Choosing Articles
4242 @section Choosing Articles
4243 @cindex selecting articles
4246 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4247 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4251 @node Choosing Commands
4252 @subsection Choosing Commands
4254 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4255 and they all select and display an article.
4259 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4260 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4261 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4262 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4267 @kindex G n (Summary)
4268 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4269 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4270 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4275 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4276 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4277 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4282 @kindex G N (Summary)
4283 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4284 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4289 @kindex G P (Summary)
4290 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4291 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4294 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4295 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4296 Go to the next article with the same subject
4297 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4300 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4301 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4302 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4303 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4307 @kindex G f (Summary)
4309 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4310 Go to the first unread article
4311 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4315 @kindex G b (Summary)
4317 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4318 Go to the article with the highest score
4319 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
4324 @kindex G l (Summary)
4325 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4326 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4329 @kindex G o (Summary)
4330 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4332 @cindex article history
4333 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4334 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4335 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4336 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4337 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4338 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4342 @node Choosing Variables
4343 @subsection Choosing Variables
4345 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4348 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4349 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4350 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4351 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4352 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4353 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4355 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4356 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4357 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4358 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4360 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4361 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4362 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4363 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4364 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4365 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4366 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4367 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4368 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4369 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4370 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4371 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4372 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4373 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4378 @node Paging the Article
4379 @section Scrolling the Article
4380 @cindex article scrolling
4385 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4386 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4387 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4388 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4389 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4392 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4393 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4394 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4397 @kindex RET (Summary)
4398 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4399 Scroll the current article one line forward
4400 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4403 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4404 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4405 Scroll the current article one line backward
4406 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4410 @kindex A g (Summary)
4412 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4413 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4414 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4415 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4416 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4417 the way it came from the server.
4419 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4420 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4421 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4424 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4429 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4434 @kindex A < (Summary)
4435 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4436 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4437 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4442 @kindex A > (Summary)
4443 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4444 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4448 @kindex A s (Summary)
4450 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4451 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4452 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4456 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4457 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4462 @node Reply Followup and Post
4463 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4466 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4467 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4468 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4469 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
4473 @node Summary Mail Commands
4474 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4476 @cindex composing mail
4478 Commands for composing a mail message:
4484 @kindex S r (Summary)
4486 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4487 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4488 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4489 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4490 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4495 @kindex S R (Summary)
4496 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4497 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4498 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4499 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4500 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4503 @kindex S w (Summary)
4504 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4505 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4506 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4507 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4508 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4511 @kindex S W (Summary)
4512 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4513 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4514 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4515 the process/prefix convention.
4519 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4520 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
4521 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4522 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4523 Forward the current article to some other person
4524 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4525 headers of the forwarded article.
4530 @kindex S m (Summary)
4531 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4532 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4533 Send a mail to some other person
4534 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
4537 @kindex S D b (Summary)
4538 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
4539 @cindex bouncing mail
4540 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
4541 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
4542 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
4543 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
4544 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
4545 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
4546 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
4547 very well fail, though.
4550 @kindex S D r (Summary)
4551 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
4552 Not to be confused with the previous command,
4553 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
4554 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4555 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4556 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4557 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4558 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4559 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4561 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4562 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4563 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4564 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4565 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
4567 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4568 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4571 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4572 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
4573 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4574 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
4575 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4578 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4579 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4580 @cindex crossposting
4581 @cindex excessive crossposting
4582 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4583 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4585 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4586 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4587 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4588 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4589 command understands the process/prefix convention
4590 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4594 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4597 @node Summary Post Commands
4598 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4600 @cindex composing news
4602 Commands for posting a news article:
4608 @kindex S p (Summary)
4609 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4610 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4611 Post an article to the current group
4612 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4617 @kindex S f (Summary)
4618 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4619 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4620 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4624 @kindex S F (Summary)
4626 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4627 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4628 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4629 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4630 process/prefix convention.
4633 @kindex S n (Summary)
4634 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4635 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4636 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4639 @kindex S N (Summary)
4640 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4641 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4642 message through mail and include the original message
4643 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4644 the process/prefix convention.
4647 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4648 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4649 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4650 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4651 headers of the forwarded article.
4654 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4655 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
4657 @cindex making digests
4658 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4659 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
4660 process/prefix convention.
4663 @kindex S u (Summary)
4664 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4665 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4666 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4667 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4670 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4673 @node Summary Message Commands
4674 @subsection Summary Message Commands
4678 @kindex S y (Summary)
4679 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
4680 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
4681 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
4682 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
4683 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4688 @node Canceling and Superseding
4689 @subsection Canceling Articles
4690 @cindex canceling articles
4691 @cindex superseding articles
4693 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4694 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4696 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4698 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4700 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4701 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4702 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4703 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4704 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4705 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4707 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4708 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4711 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4712 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4713 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4715 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4716 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4717 your original article.
4719 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4721 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4722 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4723 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4726 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4727 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4728 have posted almost the same article twice.
4730 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4731 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4732 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4733 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4734 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4735 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4736 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4737 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4738 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4739 canceled/superseded.
4741 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4744 @node Marking Articles
4745 @section Marking Articles
4746 @cindex article marking
4747 @cindex article ticking
4750 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4752 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4753 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4754 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4756 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4759 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4760 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4761 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4765 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4769 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4770 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
4771 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4775 @node Unread Articles
4776 @subsection Unread Articles
4778 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4783 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4784 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4786 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4787 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4788 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4789 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
4790 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
4794 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4795 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4797 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4798 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4799 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4802 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4803 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4805 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4810 @subsection Read Articles
4811 @cindex expirable mark
4813 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4818 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4819 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4820 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4823 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4824 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4827 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4828 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4829 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4832 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4833 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4836 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4837 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4840 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4841 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4844 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4845 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
4848 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
4849 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
4852 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
4853 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
4856 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
4857 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
4861 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
4862 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
4863 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
4867 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
4868 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
4870 One more special mark, though:
4874 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
4875 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
4877 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
4878 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
4879 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
4880 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
4886 @subsection Other Marks
4887 @cindex process mark
4890 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
4896 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
4897 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
4898 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
4899 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
4900 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
4903 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
4904 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
4905 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
4906 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
4909 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
4910 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
4911 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
4914 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
4915 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
4916 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
4917 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
4920 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
4921 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
4922 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
4923 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
4924 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
4927 @vindex gnus-process-mark
4928 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
4929 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
4930 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
4931 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
4932 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
4936 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
4937 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
4938 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
4940 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
4941 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
4942 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
4946 @subsection Setting Marks
4947 @cindex setting marks
4949 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
4954 @kindex M c (Summary)
4955 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4956 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4957 @cindex mark as unread
4958 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4959 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
4965 @kindex M t (Summary)
4966 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
4967 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
4968 @xref{Article Caching}.
4973 @kindex M ? (Summary)
4974 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
4975 Mark the current article as dormant
4976 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
4980 @kindex M d (Summary)
4982 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
4983 Mark the current article as read
4984 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
4988 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
4989 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
4990 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
4995 @kindex M k (Summary)
4996 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
4997 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
4998 and then select the next unread article
4999 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5003 @kindex M K (Summary)
5004 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5005 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5006 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5007 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5010 @kindex M C (Summary)
5011 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5012 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5013 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5016 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5017 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5018 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5019 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5022 @kindex M H (Summary)
5023 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5024 Catchup the current group to point
5025 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5028 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5029 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5030 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5031 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5034 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5035 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5036 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5037 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5041 @kindex M e (Summary)
5043 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5044 Mark the current article as expirable
5045 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5048 @kindex M b (Summary)
5049 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5050 Set a bookmark in the current article
5051 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5054 @kindex M B (Summary)
5055 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5056 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5057 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5060 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5061 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5062 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5063 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5066 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5067 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5068 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5069 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5072 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5073 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5074 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5075 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5076 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5079 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5080 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5081 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5082 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5083 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5084 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5085 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5086 The default is @code{t}.
5089 @node Generic Marking Commands
5090 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5092 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5093 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5094 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5095 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5096 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5099 Multiply these five behaviours with five different marking commands, and
5100 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5103 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5104 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5105 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5106 to list in this manual.
5108 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5109 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5110 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5111 article, you could say something like:
5114 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5115 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5116 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5122 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5123 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5127 @node Setting Process Marks
5128 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5129 @cindex setting process marks
5136 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5137 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5138 Mark the current article with the process mark
5139 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5140 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5144 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5145 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5146 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5147 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5150 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5151 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5152 Remove the process mark from all articles
5153 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5156 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5157 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5158 Invert the list of process marked articles
5159 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5162 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5163 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5164 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5165 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5168 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5169 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5170 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5171 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5174 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5175 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5176 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5179 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5180 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5181 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5182 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5185 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5186 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5187 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5188 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5191 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5192 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5193 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5194 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5197 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5198 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5199 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5202 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5203 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5204 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5205 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5208 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5209 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5210 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5213 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5214 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5215 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5216 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5219 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5220 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5221 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5222 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5225 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5226 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5227 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5228 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5231 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5232 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5233 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5234 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5243 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5244 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5245 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5248 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5249 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5250 additional articles.
5256 @kindex / / (Summary)
5257 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5258 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5259 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
5262 @kindex / a (Summary)
5263 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5264 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5265 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
5268 @kindex / x (Summary)
5269 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5270 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5271 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5272 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}).
5276 @kindex / u (Summary)
5278 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5279 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5280 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5281 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5282 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5285 @kindex / m (Summary)
5286 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5287 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5288 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5291 @kindex / t (Summary)
5292 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5293 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5294 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5295 articles younger than that number of days.
5298 @kindex / n (Summary)
5299 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5300 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5301 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5302 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5305 @kindex / w (Summary)
5306 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5307 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5308 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5312 @kindex / v (Summary)
5313 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5314 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5315 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5319 @kindex M S (Summary)
5320 @kindex / E (Summary)
5321 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5322 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5323 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5326 @kindex / D (Summary)
5327 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5328 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5329 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5332 @kindex / * (Summary)
5333 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5334 Include all cached articles in the limit
5335 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5338 @kindex / d (Summary)
5339 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5340 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5341 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5344 @kindex / M (Summary)
5345 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5346 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5349 @kindex / T (Summary)
5350 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
5351 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
5354 @kindex / c (Summary)
5355 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
5356 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
5357 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
5360 @kindex / C (Summary)
5361 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
5362 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
5363 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
5364 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
5372 @cindex article threading
5374 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
5375 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
5376 hierarchical fashion.
5378 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
5379 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
5380 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
5381 or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem,
5382 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
5383 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
5384 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
5386 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
5390 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
5393 A tree-like article structure.
5396 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
5399 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
5400 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
5401 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
5402 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
5403 called loose threads.
5405 @item thread gathering
5406 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
5408 @item sparse threads
5409 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
5410 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
5416 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
5417 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
5421 @node Customizing Threading
5422 @subsection Customizing Threading
5423 @cindex customizing threading
5426 * Loose Threads:: How gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
5427 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
5428 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
5429 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
5434 @subsubsection Loose Threads
5437 @cindex loose threads
5440 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
5441 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
5442 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
5443 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
5444 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
5445 read or killed the root in a previous session.
5447 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
5448 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
5449 There are four possible values:
5453 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
5454 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
5455 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5456 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5457 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5462 @cindex adopting articles
5467 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
5468 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
5469 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
5470 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
5473 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
5474 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
5475 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
5476 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
5477 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
5478 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
5479 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
5482 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
5483 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
5484 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
5488 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
5489 display them after one another.
5492 Don't gather loose threads.
5495 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5496 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5497 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
5498 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
5499 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
5500 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
5501 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
5502 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
5503 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
5504 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
5505 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
5507 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
5508 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
5509 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
5512 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5513 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5514 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
5515 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
5516 simplification is used.
5518 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5519 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5520 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
5521 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
5523 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
5525 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5531 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
5532 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
5533 "answer" "reference" "announce"
5534 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
5539 (mapconcat 'identity
5540 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
5542 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
5545 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
5548 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5549 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5550 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
5551 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
5552 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
5553 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
5555 Useful functions to put in this list include:
5558 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
5559 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
5560 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
5562 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5563 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5566 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
5567 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
5568 Remove excessive whitespace.
5571 You may also write your own functions, of course.
5574 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5575 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5576 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
5577 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
5578 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
5579 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
5580 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
5581 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
5583 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5584 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5585 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
5586 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
5587 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
5588 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
5589 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
5590 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
5591 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
5595 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5596 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5597 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
5598 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
5600 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5601 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5602 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
5605 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
5609 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5610 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
5616 @node Filling In Threads
5617 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
5620 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
5621 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
5622 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
5623 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
5624 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
5625 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
5626 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5627 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5628 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5629 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5630 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5631 expired by the server, there's not much gnus can do about that.
5633 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5634 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5635 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5637 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5638 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5639 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5640 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5641 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5642 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5643 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
5644 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5645 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
5646 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
5647 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5648 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
5649 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5650 @code{nil} by default.
5655 @node More Threading
5656 @subsubsection More Threading
5659 @item gnus-show-threads
5660 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5661 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5662 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5663 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5664 slower and more awkward.
5666 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5667 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5668 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5671 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5672 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5673 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5674 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5675 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5676 threads are expunged.
5678 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5679 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5680 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5683 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5684 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5685 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5686 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
5687 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
5690 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5691 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5692 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5695 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5696 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5697 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
5698 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
5699 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
5700 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
5701 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
5702 Setting this variable to an alternate value
5703 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
5704 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
5705 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
5710 @node Low-Level Threading
5711 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5715 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5716 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5717 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
5718 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
5719 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
5720 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
5722 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5723 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5724 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5725 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5726 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5727 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5728 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5729 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5730 meaningful. Here's one example:
5733 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5735 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5736 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5738 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5740 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5747 @node Thread Commands
5748 @subsection Thread Commands
5749 @cindex thread commands
5755 @kindex T k (Summary)
5756 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5757 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5758 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5759 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5760 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5765 @kindex T l (Summary)
5766 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5767 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5768 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5769 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5772 @kindex T i (Summary)
5773 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5774 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5775 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5778 @kindex T # (Summary)
5779 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5780 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5781 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5784 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5785 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5786 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5787 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5790 @kindex T T (Summary)
5791 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
5792 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
5795 @kindex T s (Summary)
5796 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
5797 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
5798 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
5801 @kindex T h (Summary)
5802 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
5803 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
5806 @kindex T S (Summary)
5807 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
5808 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
5811 @kindex T H (Summary)
5812 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
5813 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
5816 @kindex T t (Summary)
5817 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
5818 Re-thread the current article's thread
5819 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
5820 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
5823 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
5824 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
5825 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
5826 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
5830 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
5831 understand the numeric prefix.
5836 @kindex T n (Summary)
5838 @kindex M-C-n (Summary)
5840 @kindex M-down (Summary)
5841 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
5842 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
5845 @kindex T p (Summary)
5847 @kindex M-C-p (Summary)
5849 @kindex M-up (Summary)
5850 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
5851 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
5854 @kindex T d (Summary)
5855 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
5856 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
5859 @kindex T u (Summary)
5860 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
5861 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
5864 @kindex T o (Summary)
5865 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
5866 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
5869 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
5870 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
5871 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
5872 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
5873 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
5874 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
5875 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
5876 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
5877 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
5878 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
5879 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
5880 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
5887 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
5888 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
5889 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
5890 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5891 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
5892 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5893 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
5894 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
5895 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
5896 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
5897 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
5899 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
5900 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
5901 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
5902 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
5903 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
5905 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
5906 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
5907 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
5909 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
5910 last function in the list. You should probably always include
5911 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
5912 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
5913 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
5914 ascending article order.
5916 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
5917 by number, you could do something like:
5920 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5921 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5922 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5923 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
5926 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
5927 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
5928 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
5929 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
5930 which the articles arrived.
5932 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
5936 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5938 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
5939 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
5942 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
5943 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
5944 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
5945 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
5948 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
5949 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
5950 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
5951 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
5952 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
5953 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
5954 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
5955 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
5956 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
5957 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
5958 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
5959 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
5960 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
5962 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
5966 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
5967 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
5968 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
5973 @node Asynchronous Fetching
5974 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
5975 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
5976 @cindex article pre-fetch
5979 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
5980 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
5981 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
5982 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
5983 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
5985 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
5986 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
5988 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
5989 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
5990 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
5991 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
5992 connection is blocked.
5994 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
5995 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
5996 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
5997 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
5999 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6000 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6001 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6002 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6005 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6008 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6009 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6010 happen automatically.
6012 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6013 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6014 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6015 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
6016 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
6017 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6018 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6020 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6021 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6022 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6023 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6024 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6025 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6026 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6027 data structure as the only parameter.
6029 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6032 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6033 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6034 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6035 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6038 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6041 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6042 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
6043 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6045 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6046 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6047 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6048 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6052 Remove articles when they are read.
6055 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6058 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6060 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6061 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6062 @c from the next group.
6065 @node Article Caching
6066 @section Article Caching
6067 @cindex article caching
6070 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6071 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6072 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6073 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6074 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6076 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6078 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6079 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6080 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6081 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6082 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6083 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6084 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
6085 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6087 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6088 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6089 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6090 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6091 as dormant, and don't worry.
6093 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6095 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6096 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6097 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6098 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6099 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6100 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6101 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6102 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6103 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6104 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6106 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6107 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6108 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6109 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6110 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6111 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6112 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6113 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6114 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6115 not then be downloaded by this command.
6117 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6118 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6119 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6120 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6121 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6122 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6124 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6125 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6126 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6127 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6128 variables, the group is not cached.
6130 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6131 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6132 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6133 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6134 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6135 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
6136 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6137 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6138 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6142 @node Persistent Articles
6143 @section Persistent Articles
6144 @cindex persistent articles
6146 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6147 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6148 useful in my opinion.
6150 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6151 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6152 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6153 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6154 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6155 the expiry going on at the news server.
6157 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6158 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6159 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6165 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6166 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6169 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6170 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6171 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6172 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6176 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6178 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6179 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6180 interested in persistent articles:
6183 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6187 @node Article Backlog
6188 @section Article Backlog
6190 @cindex article backlog
6192 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6193 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6194 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
6195 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6196 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6197 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6198 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
6199 increase memory usage some.
6201 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6202 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
6203 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6204 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
6205 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6206 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6207 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6209 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6212 @node Saving Articles
6213 @section Saving Articles
6214 @cindex saving articles
6216 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6217 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6218 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6219 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6220 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6222 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6223 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
6224 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6226 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6227 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6228 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6229 deleted before saving.
6235 @kindex O o (Summary)
6237 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6238 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6239 Save the current article using the default article saver
6240 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6243 @kindex O m (Summary)
6244 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6245 Save the current article in mail format
6246 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6249 @kindex O r (Summary)
6250 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6251 Save the current article in rmail format
6252 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6255 @kindex O f (Summary)
6256 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6257 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6258 Save the current article in plain file format
6259 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6262 @kindex O F (Summary)
6263 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6264 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6265 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6268 @kindex O b (Summary)
6269 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6270 Save the current article body in plain file format
6271 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6274 @kindex O h (Summary)
6275 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6276 Save the current article in mh folder format
6277 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6280 @kindex O v (Summary)
6281 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6282 Save the current article in a VM folder
6283 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6286 @kindex O p (Summary)
6287 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6288 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6289 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6292 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6293 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6294 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6295 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6296 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6297 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6298 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6299 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6300 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6301 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6302 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6303 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
6307 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
6308 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
6309 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
6310 functions below, or you can create your own.
6314 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6315 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6316 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
6317 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6318 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
6319 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6320 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6322 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6323 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6324 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
6325 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
6326 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6327 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6329 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
6330 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
6331 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
6332 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6333 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
6334 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6335 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6337 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6338 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6339 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
6340 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6341 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6343 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6344 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6345 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
6346 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
6347 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
6350 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
6351 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
6352 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
6353 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
6354 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
6356 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6357 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6358 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
6359 reader to use this setting.
6362 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
6363 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
6364 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
6365 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
6368 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
6369 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
6370 available functions that generate names:
6374 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
6375 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
6376 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6378 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
6379 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6380 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6382 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
6383 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
6384 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6386 @item gnus-plain-save-name
6387 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6388 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6391 @vindex gnus-split-methods
6392 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
6393 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
6394 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
6395 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
6399 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
6400 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
6401 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
6402 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
6405 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
6406 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
6407 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
6408 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
6409 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
6410 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
6411 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
6412 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
6413 called returns a string or a list of strings.
6415 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
6416 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
6417 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
6418 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
6420 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
6421 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
6422 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
6425 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
6426 lots of mail groups called things like
6427 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
6428 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
6429 following will do just that:
6432 (defun my-save-name (group)
6433 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
6434 (substring group (match-end 0))))
6436 (setq gnus-split-methods
6437 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
6442 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6443 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
6444 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
6445 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
6446 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
6447 all the files in the top level directory
6448 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
6449 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
6450 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
6451 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
6453 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
6454 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
6455 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
6456 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
6457 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
6460 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
6464 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
6465 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
6468 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
6469 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
6470 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
6471 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
6474 @node Decoding Articles
6475 @section Decoding Articles
6476 @cindex decoding articles
6478 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
6479 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
6482 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
6483 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
6484 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
6485 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
6486 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
6487 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
6491 @cindex article series
6492 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
6493 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
6494 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
6495 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
6496 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
6498 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
6499 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
6500 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
6502 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
6503 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
6504 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
6506 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
6507 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
6508 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
6511 @node Uuencoded Articles
6512 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
6514 @cindex uuencoded articles
6519 @kindex X u (Summary)
6520 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
6521 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
6522 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
6525 @kindex X U (Summary)
6526 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
6527 Uudecodes and saves the current series
6528 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6531 @kindex X v u (Summary)
6532 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
6533 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
6536 @kindex X v U (Summary)
6537 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
6538 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
6539 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
6543 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
6544 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
6545 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
6546 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
6547 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6549 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
6550 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
6551 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
6552 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
6555 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
6556 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
6557 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
6558 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
6559 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
6560 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
6564 @node Shell Archives
6565 @subsection Shell Archives
6567 @cindex shell archives
6568 @cindex shared articles
6570 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
6571 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
6572 some commands to deal with these:
6577 @kindex X s (Summary)
6578 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
6579 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
6582 @kindex X S (Summary)
6583 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
6584 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
6587 @kindex X v s (Summary)
6588 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
6589 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
6592 @kindex X v S (Summary)
6593 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
6594 Unshars, views and saves the current series
6595 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
6599 @node PostScript Files
6600 @subsection PostScript Files
6606 @kindex X p (Summary)
6607 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
6608 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
6611 @kindex X P (Summary)
6612 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
6613 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
6614 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
6617 @kindex X v p (Summary)
6618 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
6619 View the current PostScript series
6620 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
6623 @kindex X v P (Summary)
6624 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
6625 View and save the current PostScript series
6626 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
6631 @subsection Other Files
6635 @kindex X o (Summary)
6636 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
6637 Save the current series
6638 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
6641 @kindex X b (Summary)
6642 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
6643 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
6644 doesn't really work yet.
6648 @node Decoding Variables
6649 @subsection Decoding Variables
6651 Adjective, not verb.
6654 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6655 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6656 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6660 @node Rule Variables
6661 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6662 @cindex rule variables
6664 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6665 variables are of the form
6668 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6675 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6676 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6678 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6679 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6682 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6683 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
6686 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6687 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6688 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6689 user and default view rules.
6691 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6692 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6693 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6698 @node Other Decode Variables
6699 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6702 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6704 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6705 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6706 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6707 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6708 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6712 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6713 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6716 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6717 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6718 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6721 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6722 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6723 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6724 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6725 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6728 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6729 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6730 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6732 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6733 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6734 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6735 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6736 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6739 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6740 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6741 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6743 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6744 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6745 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6746 looking for files to display.
6748 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6749 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6750 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6753 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6754 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6755 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6758 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6759 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6760 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6763 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6764 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6765 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6768 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6769 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6770 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6771 decoded articles as unread.
6773 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6774 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6775 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6776 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6778 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6779 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6780 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
6782 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6783 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6785 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
6786 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
6787 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
6788 @code{metamail} for viewing.
6790 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6791 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6792 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
6793 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
6794 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
6795 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
6796 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
6797 simply dropped them.
6802 @node Uuencoding and Posting
6803 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
6807 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6808 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6809 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
6810 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
6811 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
6812 for you when you post the article.
6814 @item gnus-uu-post-length
6815 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
6816 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
6817 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
6819 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
6820 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
6821 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
6822 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
6823 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
6824 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
6825 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
6827 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6828 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6829 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
6830 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
6831 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
6832 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
6833 Default is @code{t}.
6839 @subsection Viewing Files
6840 @cindex viewing files
6841 @cindex pseudo-articles
6843 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
6844 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
6845 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
6846 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
6847 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
6848 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
6849 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
6851 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
6852 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
6853 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
6854 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
6856 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
6857 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
6858 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
6860 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
6861 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
6862 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
6863 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
6864 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
6866 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
6867 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
6868 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
6869 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
6870 a list of parameters to that command.
6872 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
6873 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
6874 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
6876 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
6877 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
6878 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
6881 @node Article Treatment
6882 @section Article Treatment
6884 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
6885 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
6886 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
6887 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
6888 these articles easier.
6891 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
6892 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
6893 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
6894 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
6895 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
6896 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
6897 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
6898 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
6902 @node Article Highlighting
6903 @subsection Article Highlighting
6904 @cindex highlighting
6906 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
6907 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
6912 @kindex W H a (Summary)
6913 @findex gnus-article-highlight
6914 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
6915 Do much highlighting of the current article
6916 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
6917 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
6920 @kindex W H h (Summary)
6921 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
6922 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
6923 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
6924 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
6925 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
6926 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
6927 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
6928 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
6929 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
6930 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
6931 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
6934 @kindex W H c (Summary)
6935 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
6936 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
6938 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
6941 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6943 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6944 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
6945 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
6947 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6948 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6949 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
6951 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
6952 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
6953 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
6955 @item gnus-cite-face-list
6956 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
6957 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
6958 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
6959 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
6960 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
6962 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
6963 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
6964 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
6966 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6967 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6968 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
6970 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6971 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6972 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
6973 that it's a citation.
6975 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6976 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6977 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
6979 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6980 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6981 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
6983 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
6984 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
6985 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
6986 cited text belonging to the attribution.
6992 @kindex W H s (Summary)
6993 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6994 @vindex gnus-signature-face
6995 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
6996 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
6997 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
6998 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
6999 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7004 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7007 @node Article Fontisizing
7008 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7010 @cindex article emphasis
7012 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7013 @kindex W e (Summary)
7014 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7015 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7016 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7017 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7019 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7020 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7021 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7022 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7023 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7024 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7025 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7026 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7030 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
7031 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7032 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7041 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7042 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7043 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7044 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7045 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7046 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7047 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7048 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7049 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7050 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7051 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7052 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7053 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7055 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7056 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7057 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7061 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7064 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7066 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7067 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7068 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7069 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7071 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7074 @node Article Hiding
7075 @subsection Article Hiding
7076 @cindex article hiding
7078 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7079 too much cruft in most articles.
7084 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7085 @findex gnus-article-hide
7086 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7087 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7088 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7091 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7092 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
7093 Toggle hiding of headers (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7097 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7098 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7099 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7100 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7103 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7104 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7105 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7109 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7110 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7111 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7112 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}.
7113 These are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of
7114 all @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any
7115 leading @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping.
7119 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7120 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7121 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7122 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7127 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7128 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7129 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7130 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7131 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7132 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7133 articles that have signatures in them do:
7135 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7137 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7139 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7140 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7142 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7145 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7150 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7151 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7152 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7153 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7156 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7157 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7160 @cindex stripping advertisments
7161 @cindex advertisments
7162 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7163 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7164 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7165 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7166 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7167 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7168 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7169 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7170 signature should be removed.
7173 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7174 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7175 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7176 customizing the hiding:
7180 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7181 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7182 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7183 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7184 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7185 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7186 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7191 Starting point of the hidden text.
7193 Ending point of the hidden text.
7195 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7197 Number of lines of hidden text.
7200 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7201 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7202 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7203 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7204 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7209 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7210 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7212 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7213 following two variables:
7216 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7217 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7218 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7219 50), hide the cited text.
7221 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7222 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7223 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7228 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7229 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7230 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7231 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7232 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7233 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7237 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7238 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7239 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7241 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7242 citation customization.
7244 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7248 @node Article Washing
7249 @subsection Article Washing
7251 @cindex article washing
7253 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7254 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7256 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7257 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7263 @kindex W l (Summary)
7264 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7265 Remove page breaks from the current article
7266 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7270 @kindex W r (Summary)
7271 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7272 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7273 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7274 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7275 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7276 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7278 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7279 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7280 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7281 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7284 @kindex W t (Summary)
7285 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
7286 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
7287 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
7290 @kindex W v (Summary)
7291 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
7292 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
7293 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
7296 @kindex W m (Summary)
7297 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
7298 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
7299 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
7302 @kindex W o (Summary)
7303 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
7304 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
7307 @kindex W d (Summary)
7308 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
7309 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
7311 @cindex M******** sm*rtq**t*s
7313 Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s according to
7314 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
7315 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
7316 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
7320 @kindex W w (Summary)
7321 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
7322 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
7324 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
7328 @kindex W Q (Summary)
7329 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
7330 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
7333 @kindex W C (Summary)
7334 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
7335 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
7336 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
7339 @kindex W c (Summary)
7340 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
7341 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
7342 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
7343 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
7344 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
7347 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
7348 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
7349 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
7350 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
7351 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
7352 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
7353 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
7357 @kindex W Z (Summary)
7358 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
7359 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
7360 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
7361 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
7364 @kindex W h (Summary)
7365 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
7366 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
7367 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
7368 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
7372 @kindex W f (Summary)
7374 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
7375 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
7376 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
7377 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
7383 Look for and display any X-Face headers
7384 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
7385 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
7386 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
7387 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
7388 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
7389 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
7390 The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
7391 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For the
7392 @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
7393 like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.}
7394 to view the face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image
7395 support, the default action is to display the face before the
7396 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
7397 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
7398 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
7399 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
7400 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
7401 like @code{netpbm} or @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you
7402 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
7406 @kindex W b (Summary)
7407 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
7408 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
7409 @xref{Article Buttons}.
7412 @kindex W B (Summary)
7413 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
7414 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
7415 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
7418 @kindex W W H (Summary)
7419 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
7420 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
7421 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
7424 @kindex W E l (Summary)
7425 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
7426 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
7427 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
7430 @kindex W E m (Summary)
7431 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
7432 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
7433 lines with a single empty line.
7434 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
7437 @kindex W E t (Summary)
7438 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
7439 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
7440 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
7443 @kindex W E a (Summary)
7444 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
7445 Do all the three commands above
7446 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
7449 @kindex W E A (Summary)
7450 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
7451 Remove all blank lines
7452 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
7455 @kindex W E s (Summary)
7456 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
7457 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
7458 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
7461 @kindex W E e (Summary)
7462 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
7463 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
7464 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
7468 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
7471 @node Article Buttons
7472 @subsection Article Buttons
7475 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
7476 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
7477 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
7478 button on these references.
7480 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
7481 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
7482 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
7487 @item gnus-button-alist
7488 @vindex gnus-button-alist
7489 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
7492 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7498 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
7499 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
7500 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
7503 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
7504 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
7505 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
7508 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
7509 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
7510 avoid false matches.
7513 This function will be called when you click on this button.
7516 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
7517 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
7521 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
7524 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
7527 @item gnus-header-button-alist
7528 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
7529 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
7530 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
7531 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
7534 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7537 @var{header} is a regular expression.
7539 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
7540 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
7541 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
7542 default values of the variables above.
7544 @item gnus-article-button-face
7545 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
7546 Face used on buttons.
7548 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
7549 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
7550 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
7554 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
7558 @subsection Article Date
7560 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
7561 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
7562 when the article was sent.
7567 @kindex W T u (Summary)
7568 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
7569 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
7570 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
7573 @kindex W T i (Summary)
7574 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
7576 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
7577 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
7580 @kindex W T l (Summary)
7581 @findex gnus-article-date-local
7582 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
7585 @kindex W T s (Summary)
7586 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
7587 @findex gnus-article-date-user
7588 @findex format-time-string
7589 Display the date using a user-defined format
7590 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
7591 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
7592 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
7593 for a list of possible format specs.
7596 @kindex W T e (Summary)
7597 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
7598 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
7599 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
7600 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
7601 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
7604 X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
7607 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
7608 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
7611 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
7612 into wonderful absurdities.
7614 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
7617 (gnus-start-date-timer)
7620 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
7621 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
7625 @kindex W T o (Summary)
7626 @findex gnus-article-date-original
7627 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
7628 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
7629 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
7630 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
7631 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
7635 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
7636 preferred format automatically.
7639 @node Article Signature
7640 @subsection Article Signature
7642 @cindex article signature
7644 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7645 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
7646 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
7647 that says what is to be considered a signature is
7648 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
7649 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
7650 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
7651 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
7652 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
7655 (setq gnus-signature-separator
7656 '("^-- $" ; The standard
7657 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
7658 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
7659 ; line of dashes. Shame!
7660 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
7661 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
7662 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
7665 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
7668 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
7669 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
7670 signature when displaying articles.
7674 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
7677 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
7680 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
7681 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
7683 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
7684 in question is not a signature.
7687 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
7688 listed above. Here's an example:
7691 (setq gnus-signature-limit
7692 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
7695 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
7696 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
7697 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
7698 signature after all.
7701 @node Article Miscellania
7702 @subsection Article Miscellania
7706 @kindex A t (Summary)
7707 @findex gnus-article-babel
7708 Translate the article from one language to another
7709 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
7715 @section @sc{mime} Commands
7716 @cindex MIME decoding
7718 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
7719 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
7725 @kindex K v (Summary)
7726 View the @sc{mime} part.
7729 @kindex K o (Summary)
7730 Save the @sc{mime} part.
7733 @kindex K c (Summary)
7734 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
7737 @kindex K e (Summary)
7738 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
7741 @kindex K i (Summary)
7742 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
7745 @kindex K | (Summary)
7746 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
7749 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
7754 @kindex K b (Summary)
7755 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
7756 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
7760 @kindex K m (Summary)
7761 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
7762 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
7763 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
7764 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
7765 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
7768 @kindex X m (Summary)
7769 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
7770 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
7771 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
7772 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7775 @kindex M-t (Summary)
7776 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
7777 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
7778 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
7781 @kindex W M w (Summary)
7782 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
7783 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
7786 @kindex W M c (Summary)
7787 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
7788 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
7790 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
7791 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
7792 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
7793 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
7794 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
7795 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
7798 @kindex W M v (Summary)
7799 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
7800 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
7807 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
7808 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
7809 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7810 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
7813 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
7816 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
7820 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7821 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7822 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7823 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
7824 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
7826 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
7827 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
7828 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
7829 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
7830 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
7831 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
7832 save all jpegs into some directory).
7834 Here's an example function the does the latter:
7837 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
7838 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
7840 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
7841 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
7842 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
7843 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
7844 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
7847 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7848 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7849 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
7858 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
7859 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
7860 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
7861 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
7862 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
7863 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
7864 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
7866 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
7867 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
7868 variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match group names) and
7869 default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
7871 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
7872 aren't. These blitely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
7873 if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
7874 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
7875 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
7876 on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
7877 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
7878 something some agents insist on having in there.
7880 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
7881 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
7882 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
7883 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
7884 quoted-printable header encoding.
7886 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
7887 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
7888 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
7892 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
7895 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
7896 means encode all charsets),
7898 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
7899 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
7900 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
7907 @cindex coding system aliases
7908 @cindex preferred charset
7910 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
7912 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
7913 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
7916 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
7917 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
7920 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
7921 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
7923 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
7926 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
7929 This will almost do the right thing.
7931 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
7935 (codepage-setup 1251)
7936 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
7940 @node Article Commands
7941 @section Article Commands
7948 @kindex A P (Summary)
7949 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
7950 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
7951 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
7952 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
7953 run just before printing the buffer.
7958 @node Summary Sorting
7959 @section Summary Sorting
7960 @cindex summary sorting
7962 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
7963 can't really see why you'd want that.
7968 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
7969 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
7970 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
7973 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
7974 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
7975 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
7978 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
7979 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
7980 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
7983 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
7984 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
7985 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
7988 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
7989 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
7990 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
7993 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
7994 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
7995 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
7998 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
7999 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8000 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8003 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8004 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8005 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8006 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8007 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8011 @node Finding the Parent
8012 @section Finding the Parent
8013 @cindex parent articles
8014 @cindex referring articles
8019 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8020 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8021 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8022 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8023 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8024 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8025 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8026 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8027 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8029 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8030 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8031 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
8032 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8033 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8037 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8038 @kindex A R (Summary)
8039 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8040 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8043 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8044 @kindex A T (Summary)
8045 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8046 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8047 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8048 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8049 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8050 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8051 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8053 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8054 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8055 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8056 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8057 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8058 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8061 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8062 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8064 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8065 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8066 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8067 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8068 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8069 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8070 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8073 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8074 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8075 by giving this command a prefix.
8077 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8078 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
8079 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8080 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8081 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8082 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8085 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8086 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8087 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8090 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8091 then ask Deja if that fails:
8094 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8096 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8099 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
8100 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
8101 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8102 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
8103 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
8104 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
8107 @node Alternative Approaches
8108 @section Alternative Approaches
8110 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8111 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8114 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8115 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8120 @subsection Pick and Read
8121 @cindex pick and read
8123 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8124 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8125 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8126 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8128 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8129 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8130 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8131 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8132 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8133 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8135 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8140 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8141 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8142 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8143 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
8144 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
8145 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
8146 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
8147 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
8150 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
8151 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
8152 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
8153 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
8157 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
8158 Unpick the thread or article
8159 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8160 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
8161 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
8162 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
8163 the thread or article at that line.
8167 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
8168 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
8169 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
8170 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
8171 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
8172 will still be visible when you are reading.
8176 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
8177 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
8178 which is mapped to the same function
8179 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
8181 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
8184 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
8187 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
8188 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
8190 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
8191 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
8192 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
8194 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
8195 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
8196 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
8197 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
8198 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
8199 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
8200 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
8204 @subsection Binary Groups
8205 @cindex binary groups
8207 @findex gnus-binary-mode
8208 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
8209 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
8210 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
8211 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
8212 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
8213 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
8216 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
8217 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
8218 command, when you have turned on this mode
8219 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
8221 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
8222 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
8226 @section Tree Display
8229 @vindex gnus-use-trees
8230 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
8231 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
8232 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
8235 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
8238 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
8239 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
8240 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
8242 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8243 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8244 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
8245 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
8246 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
8248 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
8249 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
8250 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
8251 default is @code{modeline}.
8253 @item gnus-tree-line-format
8254 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
8255 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
8256 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
8257 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
8258 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
8259 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
8265 The name of the poster.
8267 The @code{From} header.
8269 The number of the article.
8271 The opening bracket.
8273 The closing bracket.
8278 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
8280 Variables related to the display are:
8283 @item gnus-tree-brackets
8284 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
8285 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
8286 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
8287 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
8288 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
8290 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8291 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8292 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
8293 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
8297 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
8298 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
8299 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
8300 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
8301 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
8302 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
8303 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
8304 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
8305 other windows displayed next to it.
8307 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
8308 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
8309 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8310 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
8311 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
8312 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
8313 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
8317 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
8320 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
8330 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
8334 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
8335 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
8337 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
8339 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
8344 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
8345 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
8346 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
8349 (setq gnus-use-trees t
8350 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8351 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
8352 (gnus-add-configuration
8356 (summary 0.75 point)
8361 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
8364 @node Mail Group Commands
8365 @section Mail Group Commands
8366 @cindex mail group commands
8368 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
8369 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
8371 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
8372 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8377 @kindex B e (Summary)
8378 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
8379 Expire all expirable articles in the group
8380 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
8383 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
8384 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
8385 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
8386 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
8387 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
8388 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
8391 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
8392 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
8393 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
8394 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
8395 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
8396 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
8399 @kindex B m (Summary)
8401 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
8402 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
8403 Move the article from one mail group to another
8404 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8405 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8408 @kindex B c (Summary)
8410 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
8411 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
8412 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
8413 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8414 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8417 @kindex B B (Summary)
8418 @cindex crosspost mail
8419 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
8420 Crosspost the current article to some other group
8421 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
8422 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
8423 be properly updated.
8426 @kindex B i (Summary)
8427 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
8428 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
8429 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
8430 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
8433 @kindex B r (Summary)
8434 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
8435 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
8436 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
8437 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
8438 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
8439 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
8440 (which is the default).
8444 @kindex B w (Summary)
8446 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
8447 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
8448 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
8449 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
8450 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
8451 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
8454 @kindex B q (Summary)
8455 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
8456 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
8457 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
8458 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
8461 @kindex B t (Summary)
8462 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
8463 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
8464 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
8467 @kindex B p (Summary)
8468 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
8469 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
8470 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
8471 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
8472 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
8473 article from your news server (or rather, from
8474 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
8475 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
8476 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
8477 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
8478 just not have arrived yet.
8482 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
8483 @cindex moving articles
8484 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
8485 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
8486 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
8487 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
8488 suggestions you find reasonable.
8491 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
8492 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
8493 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
8494 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
8498 @node Various Summary Stuff
8499 @section Various Summary Stuff
8502 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
8503 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
8504 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
8505 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
8509 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
8510 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
8511 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
8513 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
8514 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
8515 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
8516 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
8517 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
8518 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
8521 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8522 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8523 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
8524 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
8525 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
8527 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8528 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8529 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
8532 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8533 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8534 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
8535 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
8536 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
8537 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
8538 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
8539 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
8540 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
8541 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
8543 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8544 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8545 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
8546 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
8547 list of articles to be selected.
8549 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
8550 the list in one particular group:
8553 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
8554 (if (string= group "some.group")
8555 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
8562 @node Summary Group Information
8563 @subsection Summary Group Information
8568 @kindex H f (Summary)
8569 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
8570 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
8571 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
8572 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
8573 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
8574 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
8575 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
8576 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
8577 be used for fetching the file.
8580 @kindex H d (Summary)
8581 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
8582 Give a brief description of the current group
8583 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
8584 rereading the description from the server.
8587 @kindex H h (Summary)
8588 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
8589 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
8590 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
8593 @kindex H i (Summary)
8594 @findex gnus-info-find-node
8595 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
8599 @node Searching for Articles
8600 @subsection Searching for Articles
8605 @kindex M-s (Summary)
8606 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
8607 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
8608 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
8611 @kindex M-r (Summary)
8612 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
8613 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
8614 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
8618 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
8619 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
8620 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
8621 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
8625 @kindex M-& (Summary)
8626 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
8627 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
8628 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
8631 @node Summary Generation Commands
8632 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
8637 @kindex Y g (Summary)
8638 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
8639 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
8642 @kindex Y c (Summary)
8643 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
8644 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
8645 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
8650 @node Really Various Summary Commands
8651 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
8657 @kindex C-d (Summary)
8658 @kindex A D (Summary)
8659 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
8660 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
8661 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
8662 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
8663 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
8664 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
8665 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
8666 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
8670 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
8671 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
8672 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
8673 several documents into one biiig group
8674 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
8675 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
8676 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
8677 command understands the process/prefix convention
8678 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8681 @kindex C-t (Summary)
8682 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
8683 Toggle truncation of summary lines
8684 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
8685 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
8686 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
8690 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
8691 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
8692 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
8695 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
8696 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
8697 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8698 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
8701 @kindex M-C-a (Summary)
8702 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
8703 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8704 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
8709 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
8710 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
8711 @cindex summary exit
8712 @cindex exiting groups
8714 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
8715 group and return you to the group buffer.
8721 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
8723 @findex gnus-summary-exit
8724 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
8725 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
8726 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
8727 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
8728 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
8729 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
8730 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
8731 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
8732 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
8733 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
8737 @kindex Z E (Summary)
8739 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
8740 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
8741 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
8745 @kindex Z c (Summary)
8747 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
8748 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
8749 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
8750 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
8753 @kindex Z C (Summary)
8754 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
8755 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
8756 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
8759 @kindex Z n (Summary)
8760 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
8761 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
8762 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
8765 @kindex Z R (Summary)
8766 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
8767 Exit this group, and then enter it again
8768 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
8769 all articles, both read and unread.
8773 @kindex Z G (Summary)
8774 @kindex M-g (Summary)
8775 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
8776 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
8777 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
8778 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
8779 articles, both read and unread.
8782 @kindex Z N (Summary)
8783 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
8784 Exit the group and go to the next group
8785 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
8788 @kindex Z P (Summary)
8789 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
8790 Exit the group and go to the previous group
8791 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
8794 @kindex Z s (Summary)
8795 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
8796 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
8797 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
8798 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
8799 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
8802 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
8803 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
8804 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
8805 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
8807 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
8808 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
8809 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
8810 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
8811 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
8812 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
8813 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
8814 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
8815 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
8816 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
8817 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
8818 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
8820 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
8822 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
8823 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
8824 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
8825 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
8826 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
8827 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
8828 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
8829 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
8830 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
8833 @node Crosspost Handling
8834 @section Crosspost Handling
8838 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
8839 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
8840 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
8841 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
8842 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
8843 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
8846 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
8847 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
8848 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
8849 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
8850 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
8852 @cindex cross-posting
8855 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
8856 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
8857 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
8858 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
8859 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
8860 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
8861 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
8862 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
8863 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
8864 the cross reference mechanism.
8866 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
8867 @cindex overview.fmt
8868 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
8869 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
8870 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
8871 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
8872 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
8873 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
8876 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
8877 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
8878 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
8883 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
8886 @node Duplicate Suppression
8887 @section Duplicate Suppression
8889 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
8890 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
8891 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
8892 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
8897 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
8898 is evil and not very common.
8901 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
8902 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
8905 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
8906 different @sc{nntp} servers.
8909 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
8912 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
8913 well, but these four are the most common situations.
8915 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
8916 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
8917 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
8918 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
8919 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
8920 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
8921 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
8924 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
8925 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
8926 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
8927 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
8928 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
8932 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
8933 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
8934 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
8936 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
8937 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
8938 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
8939 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
8940 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
8941 session are suppressed.
8943 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
8944 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
8945 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
8946 suppression list. The default is 10000.
8948 @item gnus-duplicate-file
8949 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
8950 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
8951 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
8954 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
8955 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
8956 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
8957 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
8958 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
8959 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
8960 to you to figure out, I think.
8963 @node The Article Buffer
8964 @chapter The Article Buffer
8965 @cindex article buffer
8967 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
8968 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
8969 tell gnus otherwise.
8972 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
8973 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
8974 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
8975 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
8976 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
8980 @node Hiding Headers
8981 @section Hiding Headers
8982 @cindex hiding headers
8983 @cindex deleting headers
8985 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
8986 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
8988 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
8989 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
8990 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
8991 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
8992 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
8993 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
8994 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
8995 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
8996 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
8998 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9002 @item gnus-visible-headers
9003 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9004 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9005 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9006 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9008 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9009 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9012 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9015 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9018 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9019 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9020 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9021 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9022 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9023 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9025 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
9026 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
9029 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
9032 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9035 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
9036 variable will have no effect.
9040 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
9041 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
9042 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
9043 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
9044 the headers are to be displayed.
9046 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
9047 and then the subject, you might say something like:
9050 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
9053 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
9054 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
9056 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9057 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
9058 You can hide further boring headers by setting
9059 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
9060 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
9061 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
9062 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
9065 These conditions are:
9068 Remove all empty headers.
9070 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
9071 @code{Newsgroups} header.
9073 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
9076 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
9079 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
9082 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
9084 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
9087 To include the four three elements, you could say something like;
9090 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
9091 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
9094 This is also the default value for this variable.
9098 @section Using @sc{mime}
9101 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
9102 while people stand around yawning.
9104 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
9105 while all newsreaders die of fear.
9107 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
9108 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
9109 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
9111 @vindex gnus-show-mime
9112 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
9113 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
9114 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
9115 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
9116 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
9117 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
9118 calls the SEMI MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
9119 information on SEMI MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is not
9120 existed yet, sorry).
9122 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
9123 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
9124 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
9125 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
9126 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
9127 buffer. These can't be avoided.
9129 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
9130 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
9131 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
9132 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
9133 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
9134 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
9135 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
9136 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
9137 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
9140 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
9142 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
9143 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
9144 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
9145 buffer when there are nobody else.
9147 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
9150 @node Customizing Articles
9151 @section Customizing Articles
9152 @cindex article customization
9154 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
9155 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
9156 called automatically when you select the articles.
9158 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
9159 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
9160 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
9161 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
9163 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
9164 for sensible values.
9168 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
9171 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
9174 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
9177 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
9180 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
9184 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
9185 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
9186 regexps in the list.
9189 A list where the first element is not a string:
9191 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
9192 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
9193 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
9197 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
9201 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
9206 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
9207 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
9208 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
9209 considered to contain just a single part.
9211 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
9212 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
9213 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
9214 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
9215 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
9216 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
9217 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
9219 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
9220 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
9221 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
9222 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
9225 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
9226 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
9227 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
9228 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
9229 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
9230 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
9231 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
9232 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
9233 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
9234 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
9235 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
9236 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
9237 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
9238 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
9239 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
9240 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
9241 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
9242 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
9243 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
9244 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
9245 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
9246 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
9247 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
9248 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
9249 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
9250 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
9251 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
9252 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
9253 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
9254 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
9255 @item gnus-treat-translate
9256 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset
9259 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
9260 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
9261 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
9262 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
9263 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
9267 @node Article Keymap
9268 @section Article Keymap
9270 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
9271 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
9272 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
9273 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
9276 A few additional keystrokes are available:
9281 @kindex SPACE (Article)
9282 @findex gnus-article-next-page
9283 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
9286 @kindex DEL (Article)
9287 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
9288 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
9291 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
9292 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
9293 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
9294 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
9295 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
9298 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
9299 @findex gnus-article-mail
9300 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
9301 given a prefix, include the mail.
9305 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
9306 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
9307 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
9311 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
9312 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
9313 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
9316 @kindex TAB (Article)
9317 @findex gnus-article-next-button
9318 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
9319 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
9322 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
9323 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
9324 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
9330 @section Misc Article
9334 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
9335 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
9336 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
9337 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
9340 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
9341 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
9343 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
9344 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
9346 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
9347 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
9348 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
9349 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
9350 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
9351 the contents of the article buffer.
9353 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
9354 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
9355 Hook called in article mode buffers.
9357 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9358 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9359 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
9360 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
9362 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
9363 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
9364 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
9365 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
9366 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
9371 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
9372 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
9375 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
9378 @vindex gnus-break-pages
9380 @item gnus-break-pages
9381 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
9382 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
9383 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
9384 paging will not be done.
9386 @item gnus-page-delimiter
9387 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
9388 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
9393 @node Composing Messages
9394 @chapter Composing Messages
9395 @cindex composing messages
9398 @cindex sending mail
9403 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
9404 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
9405 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
9406 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
9407 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
9408 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
9411 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
9412 * Post:: Posting and following up.
9413 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
9414 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
9415 * Archived Messages:: Where gnus stores the messages you've sent.
9416 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
9417 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
9418 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
9421 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
9422 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
9428 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
9431 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
9432 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
9433 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
9434 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
9436 @item gnus-add-to-list
9437 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
9438 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
9439 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
9441 @item message-send-mail-partially-limit
9442 @vindex message-send-mail-partially-limit
9443 The limitation of messages sent as message/partial.
9444 The lower bound of message size in characters, beyond which the message
9445 should be sent in several parts. If it is nil, the size is unlimited.
9453 Variables for composing news articles:
9456 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
9457 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
9458 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
9459 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
9460 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
9461 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
9462 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
9463 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
9464 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want gnus to keep a history
9467 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
9468 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
9469 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
9470 file. It is 1000 by default.
9475 @node Posting Server
9476 @section Posting Server
9478 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
9479 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
9481 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
9483 @vindex gnus-post-method
9485 It can be quite complicated. Normally, gnus will use the same native
9486 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
9487 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
9488 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
9489 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
9492 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
9495 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
9496 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
9497 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
9498 the ``current'' server for posting.
9500 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
9501 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
9503 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
9504 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
9507 Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
9508 you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
9509 groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
9514 @section Mail and Post
9516 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
9520 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
9521 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
9522 @cindex mailing lists
9524 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
9525 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
9526 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
9527 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
9528 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
9529 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
9530 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
9531 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
9532 still a pain, though.
9536 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
9537 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
9538 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
9541 @findex ispell-message
9543 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
9546 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
9547 you're in, you could say something like the following:
9550 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
9553 ((string-match "^de\\." gnus-newsgroup-name)
9554 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
9556 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
9559 Modify to suit your needs.
9562 @node Archived Messages
9563 @section Archived Messages
9564 @cindex archived messages
9565 @cindex sent messages
9567 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
9568 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
9569 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
9570 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
9573 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
9574 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
9575 use to store sent messages. The default is:
9579 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
9580 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
9581 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
9582 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
9585 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
9586 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
9587 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
9588 directory chosen, you could say something like:
9591 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
9592 '(nnfolder "archive"
9593 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
9594 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
9595 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
9598 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
9600 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
9601 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
9602 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
9604 This variable can be used to do the following:
9608 Messages will be saved in that group.
9609 @item a list of strings
9610 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
9611 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
9612 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
9614 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
9619 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
9621 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
9624 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
9626 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
9629 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
9631 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9632 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
9633 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
9634 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
9639 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9640 '((if (message-news-p)
9645 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
9646 messages in one file per month:
9649 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9650 '((if (message-news-p)
9652 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
9655 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
9656 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
9658 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
9659 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
9660 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
9661 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
9662 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
9663 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
9664 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
9665 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
9666 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
9667 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
9669 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
9670 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
9671 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
9672 this will disable archiving.
9675 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
9676 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
9677 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
9678 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
9679 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
9682 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
9683 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
9684 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
9687 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
9688 but the latter is the preferred method.
9692 @node Posting Styles
9693 @section Posting Styles
9694 @cindex posting styles
9697 All them variables, they make my head swim.
9699 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
9700 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
9701 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
9704 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
9705 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
9706 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
9707 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
9708 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
9713 (signature "Peace and happiness")
9714 (organization "What me?"))
9716 (signature "Death to everybody"))
9717 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
9718 (organization "Emacs is it")))
9721 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
9722 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
9723 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
9724 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
9725 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
9726 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
9727 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
9728 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
9730 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
9731 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
9732 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header that
9733 match the next element in the match, and compare that to the last header
9734 in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function will be called
9735 with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
9736 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
9737 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
9740 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
9741 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} . @var{value})} pair. The
9742 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
9743 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
9744 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
9745 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
9746 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
9747 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
9748 result is thrown away.
9750 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
9751 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
9752 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
9753 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
9754 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
9755 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
9757 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
9758 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
9759 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
9761 @findex message-mail-p
9762 @findex message-news-p
9764 So here's a new example:
9767 (setq gnus-posting-styles
9769 (signature-file "~/.signature")
9771 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
9772 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
9774 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
9775 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
9776 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
9778 (signature my-news-signature))
9779 (header "From.*To" "larsi.*org"
9780 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
9781 ((posting-from-work-p)
9782 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
9783 (address "user@@bar.foo")
9784 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
9785 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
9787 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
9795 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
9796 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
9797 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
9798 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
9799 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
9801 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
9802 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
9803 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
9804 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
9805 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
9809 @vindex nndraft-directory
9810 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
9811 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
9812 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
9813 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
9814 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
9815 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
9817 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
9818 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
9821 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
9822 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
9823 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
9824 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
9825 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
9826 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
9827 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
9828 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
9829 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
9830 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
9831 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
9832 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
9833 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
9834 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
9836 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
9837 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
9838 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
9840 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
9842 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
9843 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
9844 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
9846 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
9849 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
9850 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
9851 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
9852 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
9853 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
9854 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
9855 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
9858 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
9859 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
9860 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
9863 @node Rejected Articles
9864 @section Rejected Articles
9865 @cindex rejected articles
9867 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
9868 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
9869 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
9870 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
9872 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
9873 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
9874 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
9875 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
9876 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
9878 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
9879 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
9880 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
9883 @node Select Methods
9884 @chapter Select Methods
9885 @cindex foreign groups
9886 @cindex select methods
9888 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
9889 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
9890 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
9891 personal mail group.
9893 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
9894 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
9895 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
9896 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
9897 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
9898 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
9900 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
9901 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
9903 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
9906 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
9907 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
9908 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
9909 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
9910 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
9912 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
9915 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
9916 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
9917 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
9918 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
9919 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
9920 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
9921 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
9925 @node The Server Buffer
9926 @section The Server Buffer
9928 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
9929 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
9930 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
9931 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
9932 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
9933 backend represents a virtual server.
9935 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
9936 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
9937 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
9938 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
9940 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
9941 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
9942 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
9943 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
9944 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
9945 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
9946 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
9948 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
9949 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
9952 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
9953 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
9954 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
9955 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
9956 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
9957 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
9958 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
9961 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
9962 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
9965 @node Server Buffer Format
9966 @subsection Server Buffer Format
9967 @cindex server buffer format
9969 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
9970 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
9971 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
9972 variable, with some simple extensions:
9977 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
9980 The name of this server.
9983 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
9986 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
9989 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
9990 The mode line can also be customized by using the
9991 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
9992 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
10002 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
10005 @node Server Commands
10006 @subsection Server Commands
10007 @cindex server commands
10013 @findex gnus-server-add-server
10014 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
10018 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
10019 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
10022 @kindex SPACE (Server)
10023 @findex gnus-server-read-server
10024 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
10028 @findex gnus-server-exit
10029 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
10033 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
10034 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
10038 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
10039 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
10043 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
10044 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
10048 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
10049 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
10053 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
10054 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
10055 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
10060 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
10061 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
10062 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
10063 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
10068 @node Example Methods
10069 @subsection Example Methods
10071 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
10074 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
10077 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
10083 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
10084 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
10087 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
10088 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
10090 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
10091 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
10095 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
10098 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
10099 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
10101 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
10102 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
10103 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
10107 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
10110 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
10113 Here's the method for a public spool:
10117 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
10118 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
10121 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
10122 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
10123 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
10124 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
10125 should probably look something like this:
10129 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
10130 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10131 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10132 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10133 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
10136 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
10137 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
10138 server that would look something like this:
10142 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
10143 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
10144 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10145 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10146 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10147 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
10150 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
10151 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
10152 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
10153 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
10156 @node Creating a Virtual Server
10157 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
10159 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
10160 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
10162 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
10163 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
10164 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
10166 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
10168 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
10169 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
10170 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
10171 will contain the following:
10181 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
10182 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
10183 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
10186 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
10187 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
10188 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
10191 @node Server Variables
10192 @subsection Server Variables
10194 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
10195 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
10196 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
10197 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
10198 won't change the "derived" variables.
10200 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
10201 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
10202 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
10203 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
10204 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
10205 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
10206 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
10207 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
10208 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
10212 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
10213 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
10214 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
10218 @node Servers and Methods
10219 @subsection Servers and Methods
10221 Wherever you would normally use a select method
10222 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
10223 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
10224 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
10228 @node Unavailable Servers
10229 @subsection Unavailable Servers
10231 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
10232 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
10233 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
10234 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
10235 actually the case or not.
10237 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
10238 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
10239 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
10240 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
10241 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
10242 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
10243 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
10244 it will regard that server as ``down''.
10246 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
10247 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
10249 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
10250 with the following commands:
10256 @findex gnus-server-open-server
10257 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
10258 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
10262 @findex gnus-server-close-server
10263 Close the connection (if any) to the server
10264 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
10268 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
10269 Mark the current server as unreachable
10270 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
10273 @kindex M-o (Server)
10274 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
10275 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
10276 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
10279 @kindex M-c (Server)
10280 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
10281 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
10282 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
10286 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
10287 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
10288 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
10294 @section Getting News
10295 @cindex reading news
10296 @cindex news backends
10298 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
10299 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
10300 or it can read from a local spool.
10303 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
10304 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
10309 @subsection @sc{nntp}
10312 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
10313 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
10314 server as the, uhm, address.
10316 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
10317 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
10318 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
10319 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
10321 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
10322 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
10323 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
10325 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
10330 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
10331 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
10332 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
10334 @cindex authentification
10335 @cindex nntp authentification
10336 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10337 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
10338 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
10339 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
10340 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
10341 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
10342 present in this hook.
10344 @item nntp-authinfo-function
10345 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
10346 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10347 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
10348 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
10349 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
10350 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
10351 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
10352 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
10353 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
10354 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
10355 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
10359 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
10362 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The
10363 valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
10364 @samp{default}, @samp{port} and @samp{force}. (The latter is not a
10365 valid @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} token, which is almost the only way the
10366 @file{.authinfo} file format deviates from the @file{.netrc} file
10371 Here's an example file:
10374 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
10375 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
10378 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
10379 have to be first, for instance.
10381 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
10382 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
10383 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
10384 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
10385 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
10386 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
10387 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
10389 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
10390 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
10396 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
10397 previously mentioned.
10399 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
10401 @item nntp-server-action-alist
10402 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
10403 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
10404 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
10405 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
10408 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
10409 '(("innd" (ding))))
10412 You probably don't want to do that, though.
10414 The default value is
10417 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
10418 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
10421 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
10422 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
10424 @item nntp-maximum-request
10425 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
10426 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
10427 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
10428 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
10429 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
10430 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
10431 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
10433 @item nntp-connection-timeout
10434 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
10435 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
10436 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
10437 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
10438 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
10439 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
10440 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
10441 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
10442 no timeouts are done.
10444 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
10445 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
10446 @c @cindex PPP connections
10447 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
10448 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
10449 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
10450 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
10451 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
10452 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
10453 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
10454 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
10455 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
10456 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
10458 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
10459 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
10460 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
10461 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
10462 @c described above.
10464 @item nntp-server-hook
10465 @vindex nntp-server-hook
10466 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
10469 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
10470 @findex nntp-open-telnet
10471 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
10472 @item nntp-open-connection-function
10473 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
10474 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
10475 functions are supplied:
10478 @item nntp-open-network-stream
10479 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
10482 @item nntp-open-rlogin
10483 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
10484 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
10487 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
10491 @item nntp-rlogin-program
10492 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
10493 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
10494 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
10496 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
10497 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
10498 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
10500 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10501 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10502 User name on the remote system.
10506 @item nntp-open-telnet
10507 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
10508 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
10510 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
10513 @item nntp-telnet-command
10514 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
10515 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
10517 @item nntp-telnet-switches
10518 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
10519 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
10521 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
10522 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
10523 User name for log in on the remote system.
10525 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
10526 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
10527 Password to use when logging in.
10529 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
10530 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
10531 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
10534 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10535 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10536 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
10537 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
10539 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10540 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10541 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
10542 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
10543 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
10547 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
10548 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
10549 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
10550 you must have SSLay installed
10551 (@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
10552 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then
10553 define a server as follows:
10556 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
10558 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
10560 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
10561 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
10562 (nntp-port-number "snews")
10563 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
10568 @item nntp-end-of-line
10569 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
10570 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
10571 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
10572 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
10574 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10575 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10576 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
10580 @vindex nntp-address
10581 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
10583 @item nntp-port-number
10584 @vindex nntp-port-number
10585 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
10588 @item nntp-buggy-select
10589 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
10590 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
10592 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
10593 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
10594 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
10595 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
10598 @item nntp-xover-commands
10599 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
10602 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
10603 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
10607 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
10608 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
10609 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
10610 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
10611 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
10612 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
10613 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
10614 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
10615 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
10616 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
10617 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
10619 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
10620 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
10621 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
10623 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10624 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10625 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
10626 server closes connection.
10628 @item nntp-record-commands
10629 @vindex nntp-record-commands
10630 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
10631 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
10632 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
10633 that doesn't seem to work.
10639 @subsection News Spool
10643 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
10644 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
10645 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
10648 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
10649 anything else) as the address.
10651 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
10652 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
10653 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
10654 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
10658 @item nnspool-inews-program
10659 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
10660 Program used to post an article.
10662 @item nnspool-inews-switches
10663 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
10664 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
10666 @item nnspool-spool-directory
10667 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
10668 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
10669 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
10671 @item nnspool-nov-directory
10672 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
10673 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
10674 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
10676 @item nnspool-lib-dir
10677 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
10678 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
10680 @item nnspool-active-file
10681 @vindex nnspool-active-file
10682 The path to the active file.
10684 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
10685 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
10686 The path to the group descriptions file.
10688 @item nnspool-history-file
10689 @vindex nnspool-history-file
10690 The path to the news history file.
10692 @item nnspool-active-times-file
10693 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
10694 The path to the active date file.
10696 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
10697 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
10698 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
10701 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10702 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10704 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
10705 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
10706 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
10712 @section Getting Mail
10713 @cindex reading mail
10716 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
10720 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
10721 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
10722 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
10723 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
10724 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
10725 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
10726 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
10727 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
10728 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
10729 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
10730 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
10731 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
10732 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
10736 @node Mail in a Newsreader
10737 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
10739 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
10740 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
10741 of a culture shock.
10743 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
10744 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
10746 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
10747 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
10748 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
10749 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
10751 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
10753 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
10754 deleted? How awful!
10756 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
10757 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
10758 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
10759 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
10762 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
10763 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
10764 they want to treat a message.
10766 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
10767 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
10768 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
10769 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
10770 archived somewhere else.
10772 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
10773 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
10774 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
10775 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
10776 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
10778 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
10779 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
10780 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
10782 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
10783 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
10786 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
10787 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
10788 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
10789 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
10790 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
10792 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
10793 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
10794 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
10795 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
10796 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
10797 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
10801 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
10802 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
10804 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
10805 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
10806 and things will happen automatically.
10808 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
10809 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
10812 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
10813 '((nnml "private")))
10816 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
10817 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
10818 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
10819 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
10820 like any other group.
10822 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
10825 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10826 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10827 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
10831 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
10832 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
10833 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
10836 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
10837 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
10838 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
10841 @node Splitting Mail
10842 @subsection Splitting Mail
10843 @cindex splitting mail
10844 @cindex mail splitting
10846 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
10847 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
10848 to be split into groups.
10851 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10852 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10853 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
10854 ("mail.other" "")))
10857 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
10858 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
10859 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
10860 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
10861 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
10862 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
10863 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
10866 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
10869 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
10870 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
10871 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
10872 mail belongs in that group.
10874 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
10875 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
10876 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
10877 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
10878 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
10879 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
10881 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
10882 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
10883 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
10884 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
10885 thinks should carry this mail message.
10887 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
10888 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
10889 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
10890 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
10892 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
10893 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
10894 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
10895 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
10896 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
10898 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
10901 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
10902 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
10903 links. If that's the case for you, set
10904 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
10905 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
10907 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
10908 @kindex nnmail-split-history
10909 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
10910 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
10912 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
10913 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
10914 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
10915 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
10916 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
10917 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
10918 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
10919 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
10920 month's rent money.
10924 @subsection Mail Sources
10926 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
10927 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
10931 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
10932 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
10933 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
10937 @node Mail Source Specifiers
10938 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
10940 @cindex mail server
10943 @cindex mail source
10945 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
10946 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
10951 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
10954 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
10955 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
10956 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
10959 The following mail source types are available:
10963 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
10969 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
10970 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
10973 An example file mail source:
10976 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
10979 Or using the default path:
10985 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
10986 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not you ange-ftp
10987 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
10990 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
10994 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
10997 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
11001 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
11004 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
11006 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
11009 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
11013 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
11014 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. Setting
11015 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil force Gnus to
11016 scan the mail source only once.
11022 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
11026 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
11030 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
11031 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
11032 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
11033 predicate are considered.
11037 Script run before/after fetching mail.
11041 An example directory mail source:
11044 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
11049 Get mail from a POP server.
11055 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
11056 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11059 The port number of the POP server. The default is @samp{pop3}.
11062 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
11066 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
11070 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This is should be
11071 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
11074 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
11077 The valid format specifier characters are:
11081 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
11082 included in this string.
11085 The name of the server.
11088 The port number of the server.
11091 The user name to use.
11094 The password to use.
11097 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11098 corresponding keywords.
11101 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11102 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11105 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11106 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11109 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
11110 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
11113 @item :authentication
11114 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
11115 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
11120 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
11121 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
11123 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
11124 default user name, and default fetcher:
11130 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
11133 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
11134 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11137 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
11140 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
11144 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
11145 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
11146 contains exactly one mail.
11152 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
11153 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
11156 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
11157 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
11159 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
11160 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
11161 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
11164 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
11165 from locking problems).
11169 Two example maildir mail sources:
11172 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/" :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
11176 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/" :subdirs ("new"))
11180 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap} as
11181 intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for some
11182 reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server and
11183 fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox.
11189 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
11190 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11193 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
11194 @samp{993} for SSL connections.
11197 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
11201 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
11205 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
11206 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
11207 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
11209 @item :authenticator
11210 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
11211 of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this
11212 means @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
11216 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
11217 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
11220 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
11221 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
11222 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
11223 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
11224 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
11225 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
11228 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{Deleted}
11229 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{Seen} which
11230 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
11231 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
11234 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
11235 after finishing the fetch.
11239 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
11242 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com" :stream kerberos4 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
11246 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
11247 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
11249 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
11252 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
11253 required for url "4.0pre.46".
11255 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
11261 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
11262 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
11265 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
11269 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
11273 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
11274 folder after finishing the fetch.
11278 An example webmail source:
11281 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11286 @item Common Keywords
11287 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
11293 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
11294 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
11298 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
11303 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
11304 useful when you use local mail and news.
11309 @node Mail Source Customization
11310 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
11312 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
11313 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
11317 @item mail-source-crash-box
11318 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
11319 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
11320 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
11322 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
11323 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
11324 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
11326 @item mail-source-directory
11327 @vindex mail-source-directory
11328 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
11329 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
11330 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
11333 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
11334 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
11335 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
11340 @node Fetching Mail
11341 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
11343 @vindex mail-sources
11344 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
11345 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
11346 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
11347 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
11349 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
11350 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
11353 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
11354 mail server, you'd say something like:
11359 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11360 :password "secret")))
11363 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
11367 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
11368 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11371 :password "secret")))
11375 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
11376 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
11377 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
11378 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
11379 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
11380 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
11384 @node Mail Backend Variables
11385 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
11387 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
11391 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11392 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11393 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
11394 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
11396 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
11397 @item nnmail-split-hook
11398 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
11399 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
11400 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
11401 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
11402 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
11403 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
11404 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
11405 in the buffer will show up in any files.
11406 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
11409 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11410 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11411 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11412 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11413 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
11414 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
11415 starting to handle the new mail) and
11416 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
11417 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
11418 default file modes the new mail files get:
11421 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11422 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
11424 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
11425 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
11428 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
11429 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
11430 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
11431 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
11432 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
11433 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
11434 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
11436 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
11437 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
11438 @findex delete-file
11439 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
11441 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11442 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11443 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
11444 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
11445 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
11450 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
11451 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
11452 @cindex mail splitting
11453 @cindex fancy mail splitting
11455 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
11456 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
11457 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
11458 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
11459 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
11460 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
11462 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
11465 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
11466 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
11467 ;; from real errors.
11468 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
11470 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
11471 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
11472 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
11473 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
11474 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
11475 ;; Other mailing lists...
11476 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
11477 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
11478 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
11479 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
11480 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
11481 ;; message was really cross-posted.
11482 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
11483 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
11485 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
11486 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
11490 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
11491 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
11492 the five possible split syntaxes:
11497 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
11498 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
11502 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
11503 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
11504 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
11505 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
11506 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
11507 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
11508 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
11509 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
11512 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11513 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
11514 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
11515 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
11518 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11519 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
11522 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
11523 this message. Use with extreme caution.
11526 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
11527 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
11528 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
11529 function should return a @var{split}.
11532 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11533 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
11534 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
11538 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
11542 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
11543 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
11544 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
11545 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
11546 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
11548 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
11549 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
11550 are expanded as specified by the variable
11551 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
11552 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
11555 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
11556 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
11557 when all this splitting is performed.
11559 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
11560 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
11561 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
11564 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
11567 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
11568 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
11570 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
11571 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
11572 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
11573 groupings 1 through 9.
11576 @node Group Mail Splitting
11577 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
11578 @cindex mail splitting
11579 @cindex group mail splitting
11581 @findex gnus-group-split
11582 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
11583 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
11584 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
11585 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
11586 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
11587 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
11588 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
11589 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
11591 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
11592 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
11593 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
11594 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
11596 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
11597 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
11598 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
11599 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
11600 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
11601 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
11602 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
11604 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
11605 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
11606 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
11607 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
11608 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
11609 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
11610 @code{gnus-group-split}.
11612 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
11613 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
11614 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
11615 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
11616 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
11617 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
11618 that group is used as the catch-all group. Note that, in this case,
11619 there's no cross-posting, as a @code{|} fancy split encloses the
11620 @code{&} split and the catch-all group.
11622 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
11627 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
11628 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
11630 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
11631 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
11632 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
11633 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
11635 ((split-spec . catch-all))
11638 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
11639 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
11640 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
11643 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
11644 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
11645 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
11649 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
11650 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
11651 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
11655 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
11658 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
11659 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
11660 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
11661 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} may be the name
11662 of a group to be used as the default catch-all group. If
11663 @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
11664 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
11665 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
11666 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
11668 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
11669 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
11670 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
11671 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
11672 used to select @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
11673 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
11674 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
11675 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
11676 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
11678 @findex gnus-group-split-update
11679 However, if you change group parameters, you have to update
11680 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
11681 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
11682 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
11683 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
11686 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
11689 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
11690 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
11691 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
11692 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional),
11693 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
11696 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
11697 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
11698 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
11699 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
11701 @node Incorporating Old Mail
11702 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
11704 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
11705 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
11706 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
11709 Doing so can be quite easy.
11711 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
11712 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
11713 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
11714 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
11715 your @code{nnml} groups.
11721 Go to the group buffer.
11724 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
11725 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11728 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
11731 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
11732 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
11735 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
11736 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
11739 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
11740 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
11741 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
11742 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
11743 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
11745 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
11746 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
11747 using the new mail backend.
11750 @node Expiring Mail
11751 @subsection Expiring Mail
11752 @cindex article expiry
11754 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
11755 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
11756 different approach to mail reading.
11758 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
11759 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
11760 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
11761 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
11762 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
11763 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
11766 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
11767 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
11768 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
11769 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
11770 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
11771 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
11772 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
11773 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
11775 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
11776 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
11777 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
11778 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
11779 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
11780 column in the summary buffer.
11782 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
11783 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
11784 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
11785 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
11788 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
11790 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
11791 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
11792 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
11795 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
11796 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
11797 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
11798 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
11799 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
11801 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
11802 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
11805 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
11806 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
11809 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
11810 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
11812 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
11813 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
11814 don't really mix very well.
11816 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
11817 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
11818 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
11819 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
11822 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
11823 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
11824 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
11825 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
11828 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
11830 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
11832 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
11834 ((string= group "mail.junk")
11836 ((string= group "important")
11842 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
11843 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
11845 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
11846 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
11847 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
11850 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
11851 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
11853 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
11854 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
11855 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
11856 other groups instead of deleting them. The @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
11857 (and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
11858 default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
11859 should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
11860 function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
11861 question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
11862 parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
11865 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
11866 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
11867 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
11868 easier for procmail users.
11870 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
11871 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
11872 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
11873 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
11874 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
11875 caution. Even more dangerous is the
11876 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
11877 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
11878 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
11879 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
11880 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
11881 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
11882 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
11885 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
11887 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
11888 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
11889 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
11890 auto-expire turned on.
11894 @subsection Washing Mail
11895 @cindex mail washing
11896 @cindex list server brain damage
11897 @cindex incoming mail treatment
11899 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
11900 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
11901 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
11902 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
11903 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
11904 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
11906 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
11907 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
11908 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
11911 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
11912 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
11913 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
11914 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
11917 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
11918 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
11919 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
11920 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
11921 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
11924 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
11925 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
11926 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
11927 Emacs running on MS machines.
11931 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
11932 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
11933 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
11934 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
11937 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
11938 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
11939 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
11940 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
11942 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
11943 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
11944 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
11945 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
11946 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
11947 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
11948 also be a list of regexp.
11950 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
11951 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
11954 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
11955 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
11958 This can also be done non-destructively with
11959 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
11961 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
11962 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
11963 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
11965 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
11966 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
11968 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
11969 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
11970 @code{References} headers.
11974 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
11975 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
11976 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
11980 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
11981 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
11982 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
11989 @subsection Duplicates
11991 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
11992 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
11993 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
11994 @cindex duplicate mails
11995 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
11996 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
11997 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
11998 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
11999 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
12000 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
12001 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
12002 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
12003 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
12004 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
12005 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
12006 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
12007 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
12009 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
12010 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
12011 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
12012 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
12014 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
12017 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
12018 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
12022 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12023 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
12024 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
12025 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
12026 (any mail "mail.misc")
12033 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12034 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
12039 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
12040 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
12041 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
12042 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
12043 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
12046 @node Not Reading Mail
12047 @subsection Not Reading Mail
12049 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
12050 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
12051 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
12053 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
12054 @code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
12055 mail, which should help.
12057 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12058 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12059 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12060 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12061 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12062 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
12063 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
12064 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
12065 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
12066 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
12067 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
12069 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
12070 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
12074 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
12075 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
12077 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
12078 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
12079 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
12081 There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
12082 backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
12083 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
12084 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
12087 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
12088 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
12089 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
12090 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
12091 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
12092 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
12096 @node Unix Mail Box
12097 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
12099 @cindex unix mail box
12101 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12102 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12103 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
12104 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
12105 which group it belongs in.
12107 Virtual server settings:
12110 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
12111 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12112 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
12114 @item nnmbox-active-file
12115 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12116 The name of the active file for the mail box.
12118 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
12119 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12120 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
12126 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
12130 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12131 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12132 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
12133 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
12134 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
12136 Virtual server settings:
12139 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
12140 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12141 The name of the rmail mbox file.
12143 @item nnbabyl-active-file
12144 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12145 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
12147 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12148 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12149 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
12154 @subsubsection Mail Spool
12156 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
12158 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
12159 format. It should be used with some caution.
12161 @vindex nnml-directory
12162 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
12163 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
12164 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
12165 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
12167 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
12170 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
12171 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
12172 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
12173 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
12174 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
12175 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
12176 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
12177 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
12179 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
12180 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
12181 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
12182 backend when it comes to reading mail.
12184 Virtual server settings:
12187 @item nnml-directory
12188 @vindex nnml-directory
12189 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
12191 @item nnml-active-file
12192 @vindex nnml-active-file
12193 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
12195 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
12196 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
12197 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12200 @item nnml-get-new-mail
12201 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12202 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
12204 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
12205 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
12206 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
12208 @item nnml-nov-file-name
12209 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
12210 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
12212 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12213 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12214 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
12218 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
12219 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
12220 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
12221 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
12222 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
12223 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
12224 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
12229 @subsubsection MH Spool
12231 @cindex mh-e mail spool
12233 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
12234 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
12235 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
12236 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
12238 Virtual server settings:
12241 @item nnmh-directory
12242 @vindex nnmh-directory
12243 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
12245 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
12246 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12247 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
12250 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
12251 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
12252 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
12253 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
12254 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
12255 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
12256 to set this variable to @code{t}.
12261 @subsubsection Mail Folders
12263 @cindex mbox folders
12264 @cindex mail folders
12266 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
12267 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
12268 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
12271 Virtual server settings:
12274 @item nnfolder-directory
12275 @vindex nnfolder-directory
12276 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
12278 @item nnfolder-active-file
12279 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
12280 The name of the active file.
12282 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12283 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12284 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
12286 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
12287 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12288 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
12290 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12291 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12292 @cindex backup files
12293 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
12294 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
12295 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
12296 your @file{.emacs} file:
12299 (defun turn-off-backup ()
12300 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
12302 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
12305 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12306 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12307 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
12308 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
12309 extract some information from it before removing it.
12314 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
12315 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
12316 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
12317 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
12318 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
12319 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
12322 @node Comparing Mail Backends
12323 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
12325 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
12326 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
12327 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
12328 and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
12329 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
12331 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
12332 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
12333 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
12334 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
12335 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
12336 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
12337 @code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
12338 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
12341 The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
12342 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
12343 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
12344 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
12349 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
12350 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
12351 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
12352 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
12353 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
12354 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
12355 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
12356 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
12357 this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
12358 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
12359 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
12360 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
12361 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
12366 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
12367 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
12368 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
12369 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
12370 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
12371 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
12372 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
12373 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
12374 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
12375 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
12376 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
12377 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
12378 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
12379 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
12381 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
12382 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
12387 @code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
12388 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
12389 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
12390 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
12391 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
12392 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
12393 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
12394 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
12395 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
12396 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
12397 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
12398 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
12399 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
12400 provided by the active file and overviews.
12402 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
12403 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
12404 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
12405 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
12406 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
12409 It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
12410 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
12415 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
12416 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
12417 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
12418 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
12419 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
12420 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
12421 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
12425 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
12426 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
12427 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
12428 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
12429 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
12430 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
12431 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
12432 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
12433 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
12435 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
12436 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
12437 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
12438 friendly mail backend all over.
12443 @node Browsing the Web
12444 @section Browsing the Web
12446 @cindex browsing the web
12450 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
12451 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
12452 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
12453 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
12454 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
12455 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
12456 even know what a news group is.
12458 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
12459 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
12460 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
12461 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
12462 you mad in the end.
12464 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
12467 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
12468 interfaces to these sources.
12471 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
12472 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
12473 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
12474 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
12475 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
12478 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
12480 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
12481 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
12482 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
12483 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
12484 though, you should be ok.
12486 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
12487 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
12488 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
12489 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
12490 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
12494 @subsection Web Searches
12498 @cindex InReference
12499 @cindex Usenet searches
12500 @cindex searching the Usenet
12502 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
12503 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
12504 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
12505 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
12506 searches without having to use a browser.
12508 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
12509 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
12510 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
12511 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
12512 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
12514 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
12515 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
12516 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
12517 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
12518 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
12519 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
12520 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
12521 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
12522 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
12523 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
12526 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
12527 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
12528 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
12529 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
12530 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
12531 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
12533 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
12534 to use @code{nnweb}.
12536 Virtual server variables:
12541 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
12542 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
12546 @vindex nnweb-search
12547 The search string to feed to the search engine.
12549 @item nnweb-max-hits
12550 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
12551 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
12554 @item nnweb-type-definition
12555 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
12556 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
12557 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
12562 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
12566 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
12569 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
12572 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
12576 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
12583 @subsection Slashdot
12587 Slashdot (@file{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
12588 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
12589 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
12591 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
12592 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
12595 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
12596 '((nnslashdot "")))
12599 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
12600 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
12601 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
12602 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
12603 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
12606 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
12607 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12609 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
12610 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
12611 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
12612 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
12613 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
12614 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
12617 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
12620 @item nnslashdot-threaded
12621 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
12622 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
12623 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
12624 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
12625 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
12626 but much, much slower than untreaded.
12628 @item nnslashdot-login-name
12629 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
12630 The login name to use when posting.
12632 @item nnslashdot-password
12633 @vindex nnslashdot-password
12634 The password to use when posting.
12636 @item nnslashdot-directory
12637 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
12638 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default value is
12639 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
12641 @item nnslashdot-active-url
12642 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
12643 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
12644 news articles and comments. The default is
12645 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
12647 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
12648 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
12649 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
12651 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
12653 @item nnslashdot-article-url
12654 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
12655 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
12657 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
12659 @item nnslashdot-threshold
12660 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
12661 The score threshold. The default is -1.
12663 @item nnslashdot-group-number
12664 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
12665 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
12666 updated. The default is 0.
12673 @subsection Ultimate
12675 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
12677 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@file{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
12678 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
12679 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
12680 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
12682 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
12683 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
12684 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
12685 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
12686 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
12687 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
12688 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
12690 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
12693 @item nnultimate-directory
12694 @vindex nnultimate-directory
12695 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
12696 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
12701 @subsection Web Archive
12703 @cindex Web Archive
12705 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
12706 @file{http://www.egroups.com/} and
12707 @file{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
12708 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
12711 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
12712 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
12713 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
12714 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
12715 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
12716 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
12717 backend by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
12719 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
12722 @item nnwarchive-directory
12723 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
12724 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
12725 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
12727 @item nnwarchive-login
12728 @vindex nnwarchive-login
12729 The account name on the web server.
12731 @item nnwarchive-passwd
12732 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
12733 The password for your account on the web server.
12737 @node Customizing w3
12738 @subsection Customizing w3
12744 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
12745 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
12746 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
12748 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
12749 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
12750 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
12753 (eval-after-load "w3"
12755 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
12756 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
12757 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
12758 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
12760 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
12763 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
12764 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
12768 @node Other Sources
12769 @section Other Sources
12771 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
12772 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
12776 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
12777 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
12778 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
12779 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
12780 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
12781 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
12785 @node Directory Groups
12786 @subsection Directory Groups
12788 @cindex directory groups
12790 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
12791 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
12794 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
12795 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
12796 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
12797 backend to read directories. Big deal.
12799 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
12800 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
12801 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
12802 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
12803 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
12805 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
12807 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
12808 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
12809 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
12810 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
12813 @node Anything Groups
12814 @subsection Anything Groups
12817 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
12818 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
12819 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
12822 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
12823 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
12824 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
12825 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
12826 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
12827 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
12828 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
12829 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
12830 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
12831 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
12834 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
12835 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
12836 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
12837 in the article buffer, just as usual.
12839 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
12840 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
12841 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
12842 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
12844 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
12845 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
12846 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
12847 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
12848 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
12849 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
12850 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
12851 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
12856 @item nneething-map-file-directory
12857 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
12858 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
12859 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
12861 @item nneething-exclude-files
12862 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
12863 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
12864 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
12866 @item nneething-include-files
12867 @vindex nneething-include-files
12868 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
12869 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
12871 @item nneething-map-file
12872 @vindex nneething-map-file
12873 Name of the map files.
12877 @node Document Groups
12878 @subsection Document Groups
12880 @cindex documentation group
12883 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
12884 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
12891 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
12896 The standard Unix mbox file.
12898 @cindex MMDF mail box
12900 The MMDF mail box format.
12903 Several news articles appended into a file.
12906 @cindex rnews batch files
12907 The rnews batch transport format.
12908 @cindex forwarded messages
12911 Forwarded articles.
12914 Netscape mail boxes.
12917 MIME multipart messages.
12919 @item standard-digest
12920 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
12923 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
12926 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
12927 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
12928 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
12931 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
12932 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
12933 group. And that's it.
12935 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
12936 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
12937 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
12938 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
12939 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
12940 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
12941 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
12942 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
12943 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
12944 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
12946 Virtual server variables:
12949 @item nndoc-article-type
12950 @vindex nndoc-article-type
12951 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
12952 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
12953 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
12954 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
12956 @item nndoc-post-type
12957 @vindex nndoc-post-type
12958 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
12959 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
12964 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
12968 @node Document Server Internals
12969 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
12971 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
12972 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
12973 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
12974 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
12976 First, here's an example document type definition:
12980 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
12981 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
12984 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
12985 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
12986 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
12987 types can be defined with very few settings:
12990 @item first-article
12991 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
12992 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
12995 @item article-begin
12996 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
12997 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
12999 @item head-begin-function
13000 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
13003 @item nndoc-head-begin
13004 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
13007 @item nndoc-head-end
13008 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
13009 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
13011 @item body-begin-function
13012 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
13016 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
13019 @item body-end-function
13020 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
13024 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
13027 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
13028 regexp will be totally ignored.
13032 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
13033 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
13034 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
13035 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
13036 something that's palatable for Gnus:
13039 @item prepare-body-function
13040 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
13041 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
13042 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
13044 @item article-transform-function
13045 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
13046 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
13047 body of the article.
13049 @item generate-head-function
13050 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
13051 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
13052 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
13053 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
13057 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
13062 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13063 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13064 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
13065 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
13066 (head-end . "^ ?$")
13067 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
13068 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
13069 (subtype digest guess))
13072 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
13073 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
13074 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
13075 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
13076 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
13078 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
13079 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
13080 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
13081 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
13082 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
13083 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
13084 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
13085 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
13086 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
13087 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
13095 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
13096 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
13097 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
13099 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
13100 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
13101 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
13104 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
13105 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
13106 that interested in doing things properly.
13108 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
13109 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
13112 First some terminology:
13117 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
13118 get news and/or mail from.
13121 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
13122 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
13125 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
13129 @item message packets
13130 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
13131 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
13132 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13134 @item response packets
13135 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
13136 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
13137 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13147 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
13148 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
13149 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
13150 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
13153 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
13156 You put the packet in your home directory.
13159 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
13160 the native or secondary server.
13163 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
13164 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
13167 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
13171 You transfer this packet to the server.
13174 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
13177 You then repeat until you die.
13181 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
13182 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
13185 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
13186 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
13187 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
13191 @node SOUP Commands
13192 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
13194 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
13198 @kindex G s b (Group)
13199 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
13200 Pack all unread articles in the current group
13201 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
13202 process/prefix convention.
13205 @kindex G s w (Group)
13206 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
13207 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
13210 @kindex G s s (Group)
13211 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
13212 Send all replies from the replies packet
13213 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
13216 @kindex G s p (Group)
13217 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
13218 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
13221 @kindex G s r (Group)
13222 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
13223 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
13226 @kindex O s (Summary)
13227 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
13228 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
13229 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
13230 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13235 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
13240 @item gnus-soup-directory
13241 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
13242 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
13243 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
13245 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
13246 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
13247 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
13248 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
13250 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
13251 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
13252 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
13253 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
13255 @item gnus-soup-packer
13256 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
13257 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13258 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
13260 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
13261 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
13262 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13263 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13265 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
13266 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
13267 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
13269 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13270 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13271 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
13272 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
13278 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
13281 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
13282 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
13283 you can read them at leisure.
13285 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
13289 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
13290 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
13291 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
13292 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
13294 @item nnsoup-directory
13295 @vindex nnsoup-directory
13296 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
13297 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
13299 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
13300 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
13301 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
13302 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
13304 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
13305 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
13306 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
13307 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
13308 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
13310 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
13311 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
13312 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
13313 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
13315 @item nnsoup-active-file
13316 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
13317 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
13318 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
13319 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
13320 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
13322 @item nnsoup-packer
13323 @vindex nnsoup-packer
13324 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
13325 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
13327 @item nnsoup-unpacker
13328 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
13329 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
13330 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13332 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
13333 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
13334 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
13337 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
13338 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
13339 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
13342 @item nnsoup-always-save
13343 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
13344 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
13350 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
13352 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
13353 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
13354 more for that to happen.
13356 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
13357 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
13358 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
13361 In specific, this is what it does:
13364 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
13365 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
13368 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
13369 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
13370 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
13373 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
13374 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
13375 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
13378 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
13379 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
13380 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
13382 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
13388 @item nngateway-address
13389 @vindex nngateway-address
13390 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
13392 @item nngateway-header-transformation
13393 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
13394 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
13395 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
13396 transformation should be called, and defaults to
13397 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
13398 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
13401 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
13402 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
13403 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
13406 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
13409 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
13412 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
13415 The following pre-defined functions exist:
13417 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13420 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13421 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13422 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
13424 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13426 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13427 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13428 @code{nngateway-address}.
13433 (setq gnus-post-method
13434 '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
13435 (nngateway-header-transformation
13436 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
13444 So, to use this, simply say something like:
13447 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
13453 @subsection @sc{imap}
13457 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
13458 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap} server
13459 is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just specify the
13460 network address of the server.
13462 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
13467 @item nnimap-address
13468 @vindex nnimap-address
13470 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
13471 server name if not specified.
13473 @item nnimap-server-port
13474 @vindex nnimap-server-port
13475 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
13477 @item nnimap-list-pattern
13478 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
13479 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
13480 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
13481 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
13482 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
13483 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
13485 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
13486 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
13487 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
13493 ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*" ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))
13496 @item nnimap-stream
13497 @vindex nnimap-stream
13498 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
13499 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
13500 of SSL. (SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can be automatically
13501 detected, but it's not widely deployed yet).
13505 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Require the
13506 @samp{imtest} program.
13508 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Require the @samp{imtest} program.
13510 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
13511 SSL). Require the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
13514 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Require OpenSSL (the
13515 program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
13517 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
13520 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD, nnimap support
13521 both @samp{imtest} version 1.5.x and version 1.6.x.
13523 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
13524 @file{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
13525 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of SSLeay,
13526 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it useless. Earlier
13527 versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to work.
13529 @item nnimap-authenticator
13530 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
13532 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
13533 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
13537 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
13538 external program @code{imtest}.
13540 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
13543 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
13544 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
13546 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
13548 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
13550 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
13553 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
13555 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
13556 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
13557 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
13558 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
13559 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
13560 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
13563 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
13564 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
13565 running in circles yet?
13567 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
13568 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
13571 The possible options are:
13576 The default behaviour, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
13579 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
13580 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
13581 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
13582 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
13584 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
13591 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
13592 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
13593 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
13598 @node Splitting in IMAP
13599 @subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
13600 @cindex splitting imap mail
13602 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
13603 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
13604 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
13605 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
13606 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
13610 Here are the variables of interest:
13614 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
13615 @cindex splitting, crosspost
13617 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
13619 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
13620 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
13622 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
13624 @item nnimap-split-inbox
13625 @cindex splitting, inbox
13627 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
13629 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
13630 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
13634 (setq nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
13637 No nnmail equivalent.
13639 @item nnimap-split-rule
13640 @cindex Splitting, rules
13641 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
13643 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
13646 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
13647 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
13648 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
13649 Neither did I, we need examples.
13652 (setq nnimap-split-rule
13653 '(("INBOX.nnimap" "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
13654 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
13655 ("INBOX.private" "")))
13658 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
13659 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
13660 into INBOX.spam and everything else in INBOX.private.
13662 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
13663 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
13667 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
13670 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13671 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
13672 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
13673 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
13675 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
13676 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
13677 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
13678 of your inbox. (This might might affect performance if you keep lots of
13679 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
13680 them every time you fetch new mail.)
13682 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
13683 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
13684 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
13686 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
13687 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
13688 thinks the article should be splitted to.
13690 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
13692 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
13694 @item nnimap-split-predicate
13696 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
13698 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
13699 splitted, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
13701 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
13702 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
13703 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
13706 @item nnimap-split-fancy
13707 @cindex splitting, fancy
13708 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
13709 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
13711 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
13712 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
13713 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
13715 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
13716 nnimap backends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
13717 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
13718 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
13723 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
13724 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
13727 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
13731 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
13732 @subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
13733 @cindex editing imap acls
13734 @cindex Access Control Lists
13735 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
13737 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
13739 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
13740 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
13741 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
13744 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
13745 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
13746 editing window with detailed instructions.
13748 Some possible uses:
13752 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
13753 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
13754 follow the list without subscribing to it.
13756 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
13757 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
13758 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
13762 @node Expunging mailboxes
13763 @subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
13767 @cindex Manual expunging
13769 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
13771 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-close},
13772 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
13773 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
13775 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
13780 @node Combined Groups
13781 @section Combined Groups
13783 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
13787 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
13788 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
13792 @node Virtual Groups
13793 @subsection Virtual Groups
13795 @cindex virtual groups
13796 @cindex merging groups
13798 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
13801 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
13802 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
13803 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
13805 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
13806 regexp to match component groups.
13808 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
13809 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
13810 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
13811 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
13812 the virtual group.)
13814 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
13815 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
13818 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
13821 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
13822 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
13824 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
13825 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
13826 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
13827 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
13830 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
13833 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
13834 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
13835 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
13837 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
13838 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
13839 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
13840 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
13841 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
13843 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
13844 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
13845 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
13847 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
13848 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
13849 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
13850 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
13851 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
13852 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
13853 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
13854 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
13855 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
13856 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
13857 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
13859 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
13860 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
13861 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
13862 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
13863 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
13864 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
13865 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
13867 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
13868 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
13872 @node Kibozed Groups
13873 @subsection Kibozed Groups
13877 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
13878 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
13879 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
13880 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
13882 @kindex G k (Group)
13883 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
13886 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
13887 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
13888 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
13889 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
13891 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
13892 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
13893 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
13895 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
13896 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
13897 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
13898 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
13899 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
13900 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
13901 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
13902 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
13904 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
13905 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
13906 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
13907 Stranger things have happened.
13909 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
13910 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
13912 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
13913 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
13914 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
13915 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
13916 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
13917 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
13919 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
13920 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
13923 @node Gnus Unplugged
13924 @section Gnus Unplugged
13929 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
13931 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
13932 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
13933 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
13934 read news. Believe it or not.
13936 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
13937 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
13938 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
13939 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
13940 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
13942 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
13943 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
13944 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
13945 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
13946 reading news on a machine.
13948 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
13952 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
13953 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
13957 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
13958 @file{.gnus.el} file:
13965 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
13967 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
13970 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
13971 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
13972 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
13973 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
13974 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
13975 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
13976 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
13977 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
13978 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
13983 @subsection Agent Basics
13985 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
13987 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
13988 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
13989 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
13990 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
13992 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
13993 connected to the net continuously.
13995 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
13996 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
13998 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
14003 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
14004 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
14005 already fetched while in this mode.
14008 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
14009 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
14010 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged}.
14013 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
14014 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{J
14015 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
14016 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
14019 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
14020 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
14021 then you read the news offline.
14024 And then you go to step 2.
14027 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
14033 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
14034 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
14035 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
14036 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
14037 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
14038 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
14041 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
14048 @node Agent Categories
14049 @subsection Agent Categories
14051 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
14052 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
14053 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
14054 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
14055 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
14056 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
14057 you're interested in the articles anyway.
14059 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
14060 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
14061 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
14062 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
14063 managing categories.
14066 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
14067 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
14068 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
14072 @node Category Syntax
14073 @subsubsection Category Syntax
14075 A category consists of two things.
14079 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
14080 are eligible for downloading; and
14083 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
14084 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
14085 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
14088 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
14089 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
14090 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
14091 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
14093 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
14094 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
14095 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as descibed below.
14097 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
14098 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
14099 operators sprinkled in between.
14101 Perhaps some examples are in order.
14103 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
14104 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
14110 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
14111 short (for some value of ``short'').
14113 Here's a more complex predicate:
14122 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
14123 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
14126 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
14127 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
14128 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
14130 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
14131 you want to do, you can write your own.
14135 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
14136 lines; default 100.
14139 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
14140 lines; default 200.
14143 True iff the article has a download score less than
14144 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
14147 True iff the article has a download score greater than
14148 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
14151 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
14152 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
14153 checksum and sees whether articles match.
14162 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
14163 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
14164 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
14167 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
14168 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
14169 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
14170 something along the lines of the following:
14173 (defun my-article-old-p ()
14174 "Say whether an article is old."
14175 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
14176 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
14179 with the predicate then defined as:
14182 (not my-article-old-p)
14185 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
14186 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
14187 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
14188 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
14191 (defvar gnus-category-predicate-alist
14192 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
14193 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
14196 and simply specify your predicate as:
14202 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
14203 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
14204 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
14205 just don't give a damm.
14207 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
14208 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
14209 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
14210 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
14211 parameters like so:
14214 (agent-predicate . short)
14217 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
14218 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
14219 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
14221 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
14224 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
14227 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
14228 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
14229 predicate is assumed to be a list.
14232 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
14233 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
14234 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
14235 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
14236 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
14237 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
14239 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
14240 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
14241 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
14242 if it's to be specific to that group.
14244 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
14251 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
14252 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
14258 Category specification
14262 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14268 Group Parameter specification
14271 (agent-score ("from"
14272 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14277 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
14283 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
14290 Category specification
14293 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
14299 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
14303 Group Parameter specification
14306 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
14309 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
14314 Use @code{normal} score files
14316 If you dont want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
14317 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
14318 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
14319 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
14321 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
14322 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
14323 files for a group, *filtering out* those those sections that do not
14324 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
14328 Category Specification
14335 Group Parameter specification
14338 (agent-score . file)
14343 @node The Category Buffer
14344 @subsubsection The Category Buffer
14346 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
14347 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
14348 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
14350 The following commands are available in this buffer:
14354 @kindex q (Category)
14355 @findex gnus-category-exit
14356 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
14359 @kindex k (Category)
14360 @findex gnus-category-kill
14361 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
14364 @kindex c (Category)
14365 @findex gnus-category-copy
14366 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
14369 @kindex a (Category)
14370 @findex gnus-category-add
14371 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
14374 @kindex p (Category)
14375 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
14376 Edit the predicate of the current category
14377 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
14380 @kindex g (Category)
14381 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
14382 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
14383 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
14386 @kindex s (Category)
14387 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
14388 Edit the download score rule of the current category
14389 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
14392 @kindex l (Category)
14393 @findex gnus-category-list
14394 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
14398 @node Category Variables
14399 @subsubsection Category Variables
14402 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
14403 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
14404 Hook run in category buffers.
14406 @item gnus-category-line-format
14407 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
14408 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
14409 Variables}). Valid elements are:
14413 The name of the category.
14416 The number of groups in the category.
14419 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
14420 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
14421 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
14423 @item gnus-agent-short-article
14424 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
14425 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
14427 @item gnus-agent-long-article
14428 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
14429 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
14431 @item gnus-agent-low-score
14432 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
14433 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
14436 @item gnus-agent-high-score
14437 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
14438 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
14444 @node Agent Commands
14445 @subsection Agent Commands
14447 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
14448 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
14449 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
14453 * Group Agent Commands::
14454 * Summary Agent Commands::
14455 * Server Agent Commands::
14458 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
14459 following incantation:
14461 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
14463 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
14468 @node Group Agent Commands
14469 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
14473 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
14474 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
14475 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
14476 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
14479 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
14480 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
14481 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
14484 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
14485 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
14486 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
14487 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
14490 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
14491 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
14492 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
14493 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
14496 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
14497 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
14498 Add the current group to an Agent category
14499 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
14500 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14503 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
14504 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
14505 Remove the current group from its category, if any
14506 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
14507 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14512 @node Summary Agent Commands
14513 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
14517 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
14518 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
14519 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
14522 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
14523 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
14524 Remove the downloading mark from the article
14525 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
14528 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
14529 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
14530 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
14533 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
14534 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
14535 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
14540 @node Server Agent Commands
14541 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
14545 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
14546 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
14547 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
14548 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
14551 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
14552 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
14553 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
14554 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
14560 @subsection Agent Expiry
14562 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
14563 @findex gnus-agent-expire
14564 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
14565 @cindex Agent expiry
14566 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
14569 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
14570 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
14571 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
14572 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
14573 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
14574 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
14576 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
14577 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
14578 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
14579 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
14580 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
14583 @node Outgoing Messages
14584 @subsection Outgoing Messages
14586 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
14587 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
14588 after posting, and edit them at will.
14590 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
14591 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
14592 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
14593 messages in the draft group.
14597 @node Agent Variables
14598 @subsection Agent Variables
14601 @item gnus-agent-directory
14602 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
14603 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
14604 @file{~/News/agent/}.
14606 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
14607 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
14608 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
14609 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
14610 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
14613 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
14614 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
14615 Hook run when connecting to the network.
14617 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
14618 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
14619 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
14624 @node Example Setup
14625 @subsection Example Setup
14627 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
14628 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
14629 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
14632 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
14633 ;;; from your ISP's server.
14634 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
14636 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
14637 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
14638 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
14640 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
14641 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
14643 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
14647 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
14648 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
14651 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
14652 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
14653 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
14654 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
14655 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
14658 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
14659 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
14660 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
14661 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
14662 back all the killed groups.)
14664 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
14665 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
14666 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
14669 @node Batching Agents
14670 @subsection Batching Agents
14672 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
14673 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
14674 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
14678 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
14682 @node Agent Caveats
14683 @subsection Agent Caveats
14685 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
14686 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
14690 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
14695 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
14696 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
14702 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
14703 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
14710 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
14711 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
14712 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
14715 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
14716 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
14717 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
14718 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
14719 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
14721 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
14722 before generating the summary buffer.
14724 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
14725 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
14726 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
14728 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
14729 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
14730 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
14731 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
14734 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
14735 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
14736 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
14737 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
14738 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
14739 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
14740 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
14741 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
14742 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
14743 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
14744 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
14745 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
14746 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
14747 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
14748 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
14749 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
14753 @node Summary Score Commands
14754 @section Summary Score Commands
14755 @cindex score commands
14757 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
14758 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
14759 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
14760 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
14761 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
14763 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
14764 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
14765 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
14766 score file the current one.
14768 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
14773 @kindex V s (Summary)
14774 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
14775 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
14778 @kindex V S (Summary)
14779 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
14780 Display the score of the current article
14781 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
14784 @kindex V t (Summary)
14785 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
14786 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
14787 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
14790 @kindex V R (Summary)
14791 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
14792 Run the current summary through the scoring process
14793 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
14794 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
14795 effect you're having.
14798 @kindex V c (Summary)
14799 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
14800 Make a different score file the current
14801 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
14804 @kindex V e (Summary)
14805 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
14806 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
14807 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
14811 @kindex V f (Summary)
14812 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
14813 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
14814 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
14817 @kindex V F (Summary)
14818 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
14819 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
14820 after editing score files.
14823 @kindex V C (Summary)
14824 @findex gnus-score-customize
14825 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
14826 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
14830 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
14835 @kindex V m (Summary)
14836 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
14837 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
14838 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
14841 @kindex V x (Summary)
14842 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
14843 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
14844 expunge all articles below this score
14845 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
14848 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
14849 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
14852 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
14853 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
14857 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
14858 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
14860 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
14861 keys are available:
14865 Score on the author name.
14868 Score on the subject line.
14871 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
14874 Score on the @code{References} line.
14880 Score on the number of lines.
14883 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
14886 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
14887 the followups to this author.
14901 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
14902 what headers you are scoring on.
14914 Substring matching.
14917 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
14946 Greater than number.
14951 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
14952 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
14953 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
14957 Temporary score entry.
14960 Permanent score entry.
14963 Immediately scoring.
14968 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
14969 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
14970 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
14971 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
14973 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
14974 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
14975 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
14976 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
14977 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
14979 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
14980 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
14981 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
14982 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
14983 current score file.
14985 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
14986 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
14987 pretend they are keymaps or not.
14990 @node Group Score Commands
14991 @section Group Score Commands
14992 @cindex group score commands
14994 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
14999 @kindex W f (Group)
15000 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15001 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
15002 all the time. This command will flush the cache
15003 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
15007 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
15009 @findex gnus-batch-score
15010 @cindex batch scoring
15012 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
15016 @node Score Variables
15017 @section Score Variables
15018 @cindex score variables
15022 @item gnus-use-scoring
15023 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
15024 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
15025 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
15027 @item gnus-kill-killed
15028 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
15029 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
15030 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
15031 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
15032 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
15033 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
15034 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
15036 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
15037 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
15038 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
15039 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
15040 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
15042 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
15043 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
15044 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
15045 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
15047 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15048 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15049 @cindex score cache
15050 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
15051 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
15052 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
15053 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
15054 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
15055 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
15058 @item gnus-save-score
15059 @vindex gnus-save-score
15060 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
15061 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
15062 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
15064 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
15065 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
15066 across group visits.
15068 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15069 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15070 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
15071 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
15072 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
15073 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
15074 manually entered data.
15076 @item gnus-summary-default-score
15077 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
15078 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
15080 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
15081 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
15082 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
15083 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
15084 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
15085 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
15087 @item gnus-score-over-mark
15088 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
15089 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
15090 default. Default is @samp{+}.
15092 @item gnus-score-below-mark
15093 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
15094 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
15095 default. Default is @samp{-}.
15097 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15098 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15099 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
15100 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
15102 Predefined functions available are:
15105 @item gnus-score-find-single
15106 @findex gnus-score-find-single
15107 Only apply the group's own score file.
15109 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
15110 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
15111 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
15112 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
15113 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
15114 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
15115 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
15116 then a regexp match is done.
15118 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
15119 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
15121 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
15122 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
15123 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
15124 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
15126 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15127 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15128 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
15129 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
15130 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
15133 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
15134 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
15135 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
15136 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
15137 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
15138 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
15141 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
15142 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
15143 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
15144 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
15145 are expired. It's 7 by default.
15147 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15148 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15149 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
15150 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
15151 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
15152 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
15153 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
15156 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15157 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15158 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
15160 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
15161 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
15162 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
15163 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
15164 threading---according to the current value of
15165 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
15166 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
15167 simplified in this manner.
15172 @node Score File Format
15173 @section Score File Format
15174 @cindex score file format
15176 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
15177 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
15178 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
15180 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
15184 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
15186 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
15188 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
15190 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
15195 (mark-and-expunge -10)
15199 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
15200 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
15201 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
15202 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
15206 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
15207 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
15209 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
15210 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
15211 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
15213 Six keys are supported by this alist:
15218 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
15219 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
15220 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
15221 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
15222 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
15223 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
15224 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
15225 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
15226 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
15227 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
15228 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
15229 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
15230 to articles that matches these score entries.
15232 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
15233 score entry has one to four elements.
15237 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
15238 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
15242 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
15243 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
15244 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
15245 is successful. If this element is not present, the
15246 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
15247 instead. This is 1000 by default.
15250 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
15251 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
15252 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
15253 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
15254 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
15257 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
15258 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
15259 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
15260 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
15263 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
15264 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
15265 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
15266 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
15267 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
15268 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
15269 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
15270 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
15271 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
15272 instead, if you feel like.
15275 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
15276 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
15278 These predicates are true if
15281 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
15284 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
15285 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
15292 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
15293 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
15294 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
15295 it's not. I think.)
15297 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
15298 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
15299 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
15300 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
15303 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
15304 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
15305 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
15306 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
15307 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
15308 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
15309 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
15313 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
15314 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
15315 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
15316 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
15317 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
15318 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
15319 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
15320 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
15323 @item Head, Body, All
15324 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
15328 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
15329 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
15330 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
15331 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
15332 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
15333 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
15334 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
15338 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
15339 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
15340 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
15341 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
15342 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
15343 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
15344 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
15345 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
15346 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
15347 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
15348 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
15352 @cindex Score File Atoms
15354 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15355 lower than this number will be marked as read.
15358 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15359 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
15361 @item mark-and-expunge
15362 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15363 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
15366 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
15367 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
15368 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
15369 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
15370 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
15373 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
15374 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
15377 @item exclude-files
15378 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
15379 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
15383 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
15384 ignored when handling global score files.
15387 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
15388 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
15389 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
15390 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
15393 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
15394 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
15395 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
15396 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
15398 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
15402 (mark-and-expunge -100)
15405 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
15406 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
15407 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
15408 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
15409 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
15411 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
15412 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
15413 ordinary scoring rules.
15416 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
15417 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
15418 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
15419 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
15420 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
15421 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
15422 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
15423 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
15424 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
15425 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
15426 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
15430 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
15431 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
15432 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
15433 file for a number of groups.
15436 @cindex local variables
15437 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
15438 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
15439 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
15440 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
15441 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
15445 @node Score File Editing
15446 @section Score File Editing
15448 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
15449 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
15450 with a mode for that.
15452 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
15453 additional commands:
15458 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
15459 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
15460 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
15461 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
15464 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
15465 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
15466 Insert the current date in numerical format
15467 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
15468 you were wondering.
15471 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
15472 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
15473 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
15474 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
15475 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
15480 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
15482 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
15483 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
15485 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
15486 e} to begin editing score files.
15489 @node Adaptive Scoring
15490 @section Adaptive Scoring
15491 @cindex adaptive scoring
15493 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
15494 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
15495 stupidity, to be precise.
15497 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
15498 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
15499 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
15500 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
15501 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
15502 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
15503 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
15504 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
15505 variable to @code{(word line)}.
15507 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
15508 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
15509 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
15510 might look something like this:
15513 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
15514 '((gnus-unread-mark)
15515 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
15516 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
15517 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
15518 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
15519 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
15520 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
15521 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
15522 (gnus-ancient-mark)
15523 (gnus-low-score-mark)
15524 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
15527 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
15528 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
15529 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
15530 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
15531 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
15532 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
15535 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
15536 will be applied to each article.
15538 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
15539 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
15540 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
15541 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
15543 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
15544 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
15545 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
15546 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
15548 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
15549 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
15550 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
15551 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
15553 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
15554 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
15555 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
15556 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
15557 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
15558 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
15560 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
15561 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
15562 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
15563 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
15564 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
15565 aspirins afterwards.)
15567 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
15568 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
15569 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
15571 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
15572 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
15573 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
15575 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
15576 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
15577 let you use different rules in different groups.
15579 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
15580 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
15581 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
15584 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
15585 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
15586 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
15587 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
15588 the length of the match is less than
15589 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
15590 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
15593 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
15594 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
15595 headers. If you adapt on words, the
15596 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
15597 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
15600 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
15601 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
15602 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
15603 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
15604 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
15607 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
15608 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
15609 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
15610 score with 30 points.
15612 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
15613 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
15614 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
15615 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
15616 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
15618 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
15619 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
15620 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
15621 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
15623 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
15624 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
15625 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
15626 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
15628 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
15629 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
15630 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
15631 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
15632 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
15634 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
15635 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
15636 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
15638 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
15639 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
15640 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
15641 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
15644 @node Home Score File
15645 @section Home Score File
15647 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
15648 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
15649 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
15650 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
15652 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
15653 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
15654 could perhaps use the same home score file.
15656 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
15657 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
15662 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
15666 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
15667 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
15671 A list. The elements in this list can be:
15675 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
15676 group name, the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
15679 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
15680 the home score file.
15683 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
15686 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
15691 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
15694 (setq gnus-home-score-file
15695 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
15698 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
15699 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
15701 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
15703 (setq gnus-home-score-file
15704 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
15707 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
15708 Other functions include
15711 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
15712 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
15713 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
15714 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
15718 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
15719 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
15720 their own home score files:
15723 (setq gnus-home-score-file
15724 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
15725 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
15726 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
15727 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
15730 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
15731 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
15732 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
15733 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
15734 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
15736 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
15737 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
15738 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
15739 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
15740 precedence over this variable.
15743 @node Followups To Yourself
15744 @section Followups To Yourself
15746 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
15747 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
15748 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
15749 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
15750 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
15751 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
15755 @item gnus-score-followup-article
15756 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
15757 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
15760 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
15761 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
15762 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
15766 @vindex message-sent-hook
15767 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
15768 @code{message-sent-hook}.
15770 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
15771 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
15775 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
15776 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
15779 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
15780 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
15785 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore.no>"
15789 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
15790 is system-dependent.
15794 @section Scoring Tips
15795 @cindex scoring tips
15801 @cindex scoring crossposts
15802 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
15803 the @code{Xref} header.
15805 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
15808 @item Multiple crossposts
15809 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
15810 more than, say, 3 groups:
15812 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
15815 @item Matching on the body
15816 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
15817 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
15818 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
15819 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
15820 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
15821 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
15822 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
15825 @item Marking as read
15826 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
15827 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
15828 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
15832 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
15834 @item Negated character classes
15835 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
15836 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
15837 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
15841 @node Reverse Scoring
15842 @section Reverse Scoring
15843 @cindex reverse scoring
15845 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
15846 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
15847 like this in your score file:
15851 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
15856 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
15857 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
15860 @node Global Score Files
15861 @section Global Score Files
15862 @cindex global score files
15864 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
15865 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
15866 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
15868 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
15869 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
15870 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
15872 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
15873 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
15874 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
15875 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
15876 files are applicable to which group.
15878 Say you want to use the score file
15879 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
15880 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
15883 (setq gnus-global-score-files
15884 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
15885 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
15888 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
15889 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
15890 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
15891 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
15892 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
15894 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
15895 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
15897 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
15898 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
15899 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
15900 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
15901 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
15902 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
15904 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
15910 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
15912 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
15914 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
15916 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
15917 lowered out of existence.
15919 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
15920 articles completely.
15923 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
15924 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
15925 old articles for a long time.
15928 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
15929 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
15930 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
15931 holding our breath yet?
15935 @section Kill Files
15938 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
15939 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
15940 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
15942 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
15943 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
15944 files into score files.
15946 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
15947 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
15948 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
15949 that isn't a very good idea.
15951 Normal kill files look like this:
15954 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
15955 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
15959 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
15960 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
15962 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
15963 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
15966 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
15971 @kindex M-k (Summary)
15972 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
15973 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
15976 @kindex M-K (Summary)
15977 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
15978 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
15981 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
15986 @kindex M-k (Group)
15987 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
15988 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
15991 @kindex M-K (Group)
15992 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
15993 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
15996 Kill file variables:
15999 @item gnus-kill-file-name
16000 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
16001 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
16002 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
16003 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
16004 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
16005 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
16007 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16008 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16009 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
16010 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
16013 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
16014 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
16015 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
16016 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
16017 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
16018 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
16019 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
16020 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
16021 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
16023 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16024 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16025 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
16030 @node Converting Kill Files
16031 @section Converting Kill Files
16033 @cindex converting kill files
16035 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
16036 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
16037 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
16040 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
16041 You can fetch it from
16042 @file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
16044 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
16045 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
16046 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
16054 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
16055 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
16056 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
16058 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
16059 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
16060 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
16061 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
16062 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
16063 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
16064 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
16065 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
16069 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
16070 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
16071 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
16072 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
16076 @node Using GroupLens
16077 @subsection Using GroupLens
16079 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
16081 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
16082 better bit in town at the moment.
16084 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
16088 @item gnus-use-grouplens
16089 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
16090 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
16091 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
16093 @item grouplens-pseudonym
16094 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
16095 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
16096 with the Better Bit Bureau.
16098 @item grouplens-newsgroups
16099 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
16100 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
16104 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
16105 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
16106 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
16107 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
16108 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
16109 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
16112 @node Rating Articles
16113 @subsection Rating Articles
16115 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
16116 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
16117 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
16118 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
16121 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
16126 @kindex r (GroupLens)
16127 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
16128 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
16131 @kindex k (GroupLens)
16132 @findex grouplens-score-thread
16133 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
16134 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
16135 threads in rec.humor.
16139 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
16140 the score of the article you're reading.
16145 @kindex n (GroupLens)
16146 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
16147 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
16150 @kindex , (GroupLens)
16151 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
16152 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
16156 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
16157 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
16160 @node Displaying Predictions
16161 @subsection Displaying Predictions
16163 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
16164 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
16165 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
16166 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
16167 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
16169 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
16170 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
16171 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
16172 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
16173 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
16174 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
16175 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
16176 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
16177 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
16178 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
16179 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
16180 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
16181 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
16183 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
16184 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
16185 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
16186 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
16188 The following are valid values for that variable.
16191 @item prediction-spot
16192 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
16195 @item confidence-interval
16196 A numeric confidence interval.
16198 @item prediction-bar
16199 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
16201 @item confidence-bar
16202 Numerical confidence.
16204 @item confidence-spot
16205 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
16207 @item prediction-num
16208 Plain-old numeric value.
16210 @item confidence-plus-minus
16211 Prediction +/- confidence.
16216 @node GroupLens Variables
16217 @subsection GroupLens Variables
16221 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
16222 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
16223 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
16224 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
16227 @item grouplens-bbb-host
16228 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
16231 @item grouplens-bbb-port
16232 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
16234 @item grouplens-score-offset
16235 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
16236 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
16239 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
16240 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
16241 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
16246 @node Advanced Scoring
16247 @section Advanced Scoring
16249 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
16250 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
16251 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
16252 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
16253 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
16255 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
16259 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
16260 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
16261 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
16265 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
16266 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
16268 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
16269 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
16270 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
16271 non-@code{nil} value.
16273 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
16274 operator, and various match operators.
16281 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
16282 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
16283 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
16288 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
16289 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
16290 then this operator will return @code{false}.
16295 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
16296 logical negation of the value of its argument.
16300 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
16301 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
16302 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
16303 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
16304 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
16305 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
16306 the ancestry you want to go.
16308 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
16309 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
16310 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
16311 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
16312 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
16315 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
16316 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
16318 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
16319 when he's talking about Gnus:
16323 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16324 ("subject" "Gnus"))
16330 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
16334 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16341 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
16342 really don't want to read what he's written:
16346 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16347 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
16351 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
16352 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
16353 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
16360 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
16361 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
16362 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
16363 ("body" "white.*socks"))
16367 The possibilities are endless.
16370 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
16371 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
16373 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
16374 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
16375 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
16376 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
16377 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
16378 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
16379 @samp{subject}) first.
16381 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
16382 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
16393 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
16394 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
16400 ("subject" "Gnus")))
16407 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
16408 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
16413 @section Score Decays
16414 @cindex score decays
16417 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
16418 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
16419 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
16420 use them in any sensible way.
16422 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
16423 @findex gnus-decay-score
16424 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
16425 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
16426 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
16427 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
16428 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
16429 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
16430 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
16431 definition of that function:
16434 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
16436 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
16437 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
16440 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
16442 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
16444 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
16447 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
16448 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
16449 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
16450 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
16454 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
16457 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
16460 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
16464 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
16465 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
16466 the new score, which should be an integer.
16468 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
16469 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
16476 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
16477 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
16478 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
16479 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
16480 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
16481 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
16482 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
16483 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
16484 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
16485 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
16486 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
16487 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
16488 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
16489 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
16490 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
16491 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
16492 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
16493 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
16497 @node Process/Prefix
16498 @section Process/Prefix
16499 @cindex process/prefix convention
16501 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
16502 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
16504 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
16505 command to be performed on.
16509 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
16510 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
16511 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
16512 with the current one.
16514 @vindex transient-mark-mode
16515 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
16516 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
16518 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
16519 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
16522 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
16523 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
16525 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
16528 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
16529 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
16530 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
16531 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16533 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
16534 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
16535 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
16536 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
16537 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
16538 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
16539 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
16540 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
16542 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
16543 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
16544 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
16545 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
16546 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
16550 @section Interactive
16551 @cindex interaction
16555 @item gnus-novice-user
16556 @vindex gnus-novice-user
16557 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
16558 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
16559 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
16560 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
16563 @item gnus-expert-user
16564 @vindex gnus-expert-user
16565 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
16566 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
16567 matter how strange.
16569 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
16570 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
16571 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
16572 is @code{t} by default.
16574 @item gnus-interactive-exit
16575 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
16576 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
16581 @node Symbolic Prefixes
16582 @section Symbolic Prefixes
16583 @cindex symbolic prefixes
16585 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
16586 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
16587 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
16588 rule of 900 to the current article.
16590 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
16591 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
16592 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
16593 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
16594 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
16595 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
16596 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
16598 @kindex M-i (Summary)
16599 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
16600 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
16601 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
16602 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
16603 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
16604 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
16605 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
16606 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
16608 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
16609 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
16610 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
16612 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
16616 @node Formatting Variables
16617 @section Formatting Variables
16618 @cindex formatting variables
16620 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
16621 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
16622 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
16623 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
16624 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
16627 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
16628 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
16629 lots of percentages everywhere.
16632 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
16633 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
16634 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
16635 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
16636 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
16639 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
16640 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
16641 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
16642 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
16643 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
16644 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
16645 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
16646 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
16648 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
16649 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
16651 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
16652 @findex gnus-update-format
16653 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
16654 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
16655 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
16656 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
16660 @node Formatting Basics
16661 @subsection Formatting Basics
16663 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
16664 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
16665 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
16667 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
16668 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
16669 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
16670 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
16671 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
16674 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
16675 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
16676 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
16677 less than 4 characters wide.
16680 @node Mode Line Formatting
16681 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
16683 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
16684 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
16685 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
16686 with the following two differences:
16691 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
16694 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
16695 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
16696 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
16697 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
16698 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
16699 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
16700 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
16705 @node Advanced Formatting
16706 @subsection Advanced Formatting
16708 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
16709 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
16710 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
16711 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
16713 These are the valid modifiers:
16718 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
16722 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
16727 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
16730 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
16735 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
16738 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
16741 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
16744 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
16748 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
16749 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
16750 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
16751 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
16752 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
16753 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
16754 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
16756 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
16757 last operation, padding.
16759 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
16760 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
16761 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
16762 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
16763 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
16764 the look of your lines.
16765 @xref{Compilation}.
16768 @node User-Defined Specs
16769 @subsection User-Defined Specs
16771 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
16772 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
16773 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
16774 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
16775 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
16776 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
16777 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
16778 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
16779 should protect against that.
16781 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
16782 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
16783 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
16784 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
16788 @node Formatting Fonts
16789 @subsection Formatting Fonts
16791 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
16792 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
16793 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
16794 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
16797 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
16798 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
16799 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
16800 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
16801 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
16802 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
16804 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
16805 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
16806 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
16807 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
16808 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
16809 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
16810 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
16811 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
16813 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
16816 ;; Create three face types.
16817 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
16818 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
16820 ;; We want the article count to be in
16821 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
16822 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
16823 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
16825 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
16826 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
16828 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
16829 (setq gnus-group-line-format
16830 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
16833 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
16834 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
16836 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
16837 mode-line variables.
16840 @node Windows Configuration
16841 @section Windows Configuration
16842 @cindex windows configuration
16844 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
16846 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
16847 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
16848 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
16849 @code{t} by default.
16851 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
16852 glitches. Use at your own peril.
16854 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
16855 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
16856 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
16859 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
16860 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
16861 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
16865 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
16866 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
16867 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
16868 possible names is listed below.
16870 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
16871 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
16874 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
16878 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
16879 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
16880 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
16881 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
16882 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
16883 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
16884 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
16885 size spec per split.
16887 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
16888 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
16889 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
16890 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
16891 present) gets focus.
16893 Here's a more complicated example:
16896 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
16897 (summary 0.25 point)
16898 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
16902 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
16903 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
16904 occupy, not a percentage.
16906 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
16907 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
16908 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
16909 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
16910 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
16913 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
16916 (article (horizontal 1.0
16921 (summary 0.25 point)
16926 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
16927 @code{horizontal} thingie?
16929 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
16930 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
16931 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
16932 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
16933 the screen is to be given to this strip.
16935 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
16936 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
16937 lines from the splits.
16939 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
16943 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
16944 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
16945 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
16946 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
16947 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
16948 size = number | frame-params
16949 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
16952 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
16953 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
16954 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
16955 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
16957 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
16958 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
16959 @cindex window height
16960 @cindex window width
16961 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
16962 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
16963 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
16964 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
16965 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
16966 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
16968 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
16969 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
16970 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
16971 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
16973 @findex gnus-configure-frame
16974 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
16975 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
16976 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
16977 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
16978 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
16979 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
16980 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
16981 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
16982 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
16983 configuration list.
16986 (gnus-configure-frame
16990 (article 0.3 point))
16998 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
16999 @code{frame} split:
17002 (gnus-configure-frame
17005 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
17007 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
17008 (user-position . t)
17009 (left . -1) (top . 1))
17014 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
17015 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
17016 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
17017 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
17018 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
17019 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
17020 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
17021 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
17023 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
17024 be found in its default value.
17026 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
17027 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
17028 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
17032 (message (horizontal 1.0
17033 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
17035 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
17040 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
17041 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
17042 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
17045 (message (frame 1.0
17046 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
17047 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
17048 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
17049 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
17050 (name . "Message"))
17051 (message 1.0 point))))
17054 @findex gnus-add-configuration
17055 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
17056 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
17057 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
17058 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
17061 (gnus-add-configuration
17062 '(article (vertical 1.0
17064 (summary .25 point)
17068 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
17069 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
17070 Gnus has been loaded.
17072 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
17073 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
17074 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
17075 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
17076 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
17078 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
17079 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
17080 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
17084 @node Faces and Fonts
17085 @section Faces and Fonts
17090 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
17091 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
17092 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
17097 @section Compilation
17098 @cindex compilation
17099 @cindex byte-compilation
17101 @findex gnus-compile
17103 Remember all those line format specification variables?
17104 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
17105 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
17106 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
17107 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
17108 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
17109 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
17110 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
17113 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
17114 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
17115 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
17116 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
17117 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17120 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
17121 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
17122 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
17123 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
17124 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
17129 @section Mode Lines
17132 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
17133 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
17134 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
17135 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
17136 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
17137 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
17138 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
17141 @cindex display-time
17143 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
17144 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
17145 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
17146 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
17147 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
17148 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
17149 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
17150 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
17153 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
17155 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
17156 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
17158 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
17159 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
17160 (length display-time-string)))))
17163 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
17164 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
17165 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
17166 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
17167 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
17170 @node Highlighting and Menus
17171 @section Highlighting and Menus
17173 @cindex highlighting
17176 @vindex gnus-visual
17177 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
17178 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
17179 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
17182 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
17183 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
17186 @item group-highlight
17187 Do highlights in the group buffer.
17188 @item summary-highlight
17189 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
17190 @item article-highlight
17191 Do highlights in the article buffer.
17193 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
17195 Create menus in the group buffer.
17197 Create menus in the summary buffers.
17199 Create menus in the article buffer.
17201 Create menus in the browse buffer.
17203 Create menus in the server buffer.
17205 Create menus in the score buffers.
17207 Create menus in all buffers.
17210 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
17211 buffers, you could say something like:
17214 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
17217 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
17220 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
17223 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
17224 in all Gnus buffers.
17226 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
17229 @item gnus-mouse-face
17230 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
17231 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
17232 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
17236 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
17240 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
17241 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
17242 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
17244 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
17245 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
17246 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
17248 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
17249 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
17250 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
17252 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
17253 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
17254 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
17256 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
17257 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
17258 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
17260 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
17261 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
17262 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
17273 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
17274 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
17275 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
17276 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
17277 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
17281 @vindex gnus-carpal
17282 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
17283 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
17284 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
17289 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
17290 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
17291 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
17293 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
17294 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
17295 Face used on buttons.
17297 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
17298 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
17299 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
17301 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
17302 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
17303 Buttons in the group buffer.
17305 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
17306 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
17307 Buttons in the summary buffer.
17309 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
17310 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
17311 Buttons in the server buffer.
17313 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
17314 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
17315 Buttons in the browse buffer.
17318 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
17319 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
17320 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
17328 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
17329 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
17330 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
17331 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
17332 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
17334 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
17335 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
17336 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
17338 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
17339 been idle for thirty minutes:
17342 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
17345 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
17349 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
17352 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
17353 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
17354 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
17356 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
17357 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
17358 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
17359 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
17361 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
17362 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
17363 @var{idle} minutes.
17365 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
17366 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
17369 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
17370 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
17371 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
17373 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
17374 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
17375 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
17376 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
17378 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
17379 your @file{.gnus} file:
17381 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
17383 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
17386 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
17387 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
17388 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
17389 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
17390 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
17391 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
17392 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
17393 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
17394 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
17395 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
17396 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
17398 @findex gnus-demon-init
17399 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
17400 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
17401 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
17402 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
17403 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
17405 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
17406 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
17407 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
17416 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
17417 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
17419 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
17420 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
17421 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
17422 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
17425 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
17426 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
17427 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
17428 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
17430 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
17431 this will make spam disappear.
17433 There are some variables to customize, of course:
17436 @item gnus-use-nocem
17437 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
17438 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
17441 @item gnus-nocem-groups
17442 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
17443 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
17444 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
17445 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
17447 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
17448 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
17449 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
17450 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
17451 "rbraver@@ohww.norman.ok.us" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
17452 "jem@@xpat.com" "snowhare@@xmission.com" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
17453 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
17455 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
17458 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
17459 @cindex Chris Lewis
17460 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
17461 usenet abuse than anybody else.
17464 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
17465 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
17466 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
17468 @item jem@@xpat.com;
17470 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
17473 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
17474 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
17475 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
17478 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
17479 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
17480 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
17481 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
17482 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
17483 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
17484 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
17485 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
17486 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
17487 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
17489 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
17490 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
17493 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
17496 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
17497 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
17500 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
17503 The specs are applied left-to-right.
17506 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
17507 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
17509 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
17510 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
17511 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
17512 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
17514 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
17515 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
17518 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
17520 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
17528 This might be dangerous, though.
17530 @item gnus-nocem-directory
17531 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
17532 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
17533 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
17535 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
17536 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
17537 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
17538 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
17539 might then see old spam.
17543 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
17544 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
17545 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
17546 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
17553 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
17554 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
17555 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
17557 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
17558 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
17559 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
17560 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
17561 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
17562 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
17563 @code{undo} function.
17565 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
17566 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
17567 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
17568 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
17569 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
17570 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
17571 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
17572 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
17573 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
17574 never be totally undoable.
17576 @findex gnus-undo-mode
17577 @vindex gnus-use-undo
17579 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
17580 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
17581 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
17582 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
17587 @section Moderation
17590 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
17591 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
17592 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
17595 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
17599 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
17602 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
17604 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
17609 You split your incoming mail by matching on
17610 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
17611 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
17614 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
17615 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
17618 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
17619 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
17623 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
17626 (setq gnus-moderated-list
17627 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
17631 @node XEmacs Enhancements
17632 @section XEmacs Enhancements
17635 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
17639 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
17640 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
17641 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
17642 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
17655 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
17656 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
17657 over your shoulder as you read news.
17660 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
17661 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
17662 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
17663 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
17664 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
17669 @subsubsection Picon Basics
17671 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
17680 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
17681 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
17682 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
17683 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
17684 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
17685 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
17686 @code{GIF} formats.
17689 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
17690 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
17691 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
17692 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
17693 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
17695 @vindex gnus-picons-database
17696 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
17697 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
17698 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
17699 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
17700 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
17703 @node Picon Requirements
17704 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
17706 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
17707 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
17710 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
17711 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
17712 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
17714 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
17715 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
17716 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
17717 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
17718 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
17722 @subsubsection Easy Picons
17724 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
17725 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
17728 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
17729 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
17732 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
17733 containing the Picons databases.
17735 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
17738 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
17739 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
17744 @subsubsection Hard Picons
17752 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
17753 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
17754 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
17755 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
17756 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
17761 @item gnus-picons-database
17762 @vindex gnus-picons-database
17763 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
17764 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
17765 subdirectories. This is only useful if
17766 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
17767 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
17769 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
17770 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
17771 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
17772 engine is @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
17773 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
17774 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
17775 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
17777 @item gnus-picons-display-where
17778 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
17779 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
17780 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
17781 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
17782 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
17783 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
17784 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
17786 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
17787 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
17788 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
17793 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
17794 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
17796 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
17797 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
17800 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
17802 @item gnus-article-display-picons
17803 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
17804 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
17805 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
17807 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
17808 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
17809 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
17815 @node Picon Useless Configuration
17816 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
17824 The following variables offer further control over how things are
17825 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
17826 don't need to worry about.
17830 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
17831 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
17832 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
17833 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
17835 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
17836 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
17837 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
17838 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
17840 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
17841 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
17842 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
17843 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
17844 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
17846 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
17847 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
17848 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
17849 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
17850 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
17851 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
17852 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
17854 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
17855 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
17856 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
17857 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
17859 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
17860 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
17861 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
17862 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
17863 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
17864 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
17865 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
17867 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
17868 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
17869 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
17870 Defaults to @code{nil}.
17872 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
17873 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
17874 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
17875 Defaults to @code{t}.
17877 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
17878 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
17879 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
17880 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
17882 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
17883 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
17884 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
17886 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
17887 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
17888 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
17889 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
17891 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
17892 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the defailt.
17894 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
17895 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
17896 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
17897 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
17898 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
17899 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
17900 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
17901 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
17912 @subsection Smileys
17917 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
17922 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
17923 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
17925 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
17926 @file{.gnus.el} file:
17929 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
17932 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
17933 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
17934 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
17935 text and maps that to file names.
17937 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
17938 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
17939 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
17940 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
17941 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
17942 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
17944 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
17945 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
17947 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
17948 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
17949 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
17951 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
17952 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
17956 @item smiley-data-directory
17957 @vindex smiley-data-directory
17958 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
17960 @item smiley-flesh-color
17961 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
17962 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
17964 @item smiley-features-color
17965 @vindex smiley-features-color
17966 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
17968 @item smiley-tongue-color
17969 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
17970 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
17972 @item smiley-circle-color
17973 @vindex smiley-circle-color
17974 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
17976 @item smiley-mouse-face
17977 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
17978 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
17984 @subsection Toolbar
17994 @item gnus-use-toolbar
17995 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
17996 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
17997 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
17998 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
18000 @item gnus-group-toolbar
18001 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
18002 The toolbar in the group buffer.
18004 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
18005 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
18006 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
18008 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18009 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18010 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
18016 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
18019 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18020 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18021 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
18022 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
18023 unusual directory structure.
18025 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18026 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18027 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
18028 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
18030 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18031 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18032 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
18033 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
18034 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
18035 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
18037 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18038 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18039 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
18053 @node Fuzzy Matching
18054 @section Fuzzy Matching
18055 @cindex fuzzy matching
18057 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
18058 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
18060 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
18061 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
18062 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
18064 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
18065 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
18066 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
18067 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
18068 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
18071 @node Thwarting Email Spam
18072 @section Thwarting Email Spam
18076 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
18078 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
18079 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
18080 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
18081 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
18082 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
18083 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
18084 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
18085 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
18088 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
18089 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
18090 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
18091 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
18092 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
18093 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
18097 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
18098 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
18100 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
18101 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
18102 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
18103 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
18104 sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
18105 part of the mail address.)
18108 (setq message-default-news-headers
18109 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
18112 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
18113 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
18118 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
18119 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
18120 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
18126 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
18127 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
18128 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
18129 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
18131 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
18132 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
18133 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
18134 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
18135 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
18136 your fancy split rule in this way:
18141 (to "larsi" "misc")
18145 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
18146 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
18147 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
18148 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
18149 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
18151 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
18152 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
18153 at @* @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
18154 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
18155 cosmic balance somewhat.
18157 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
18158 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
18159 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
18160 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
18163 @node Various Various
18164 @section Various Various
18170 @item gnus-home-directory
18171 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
18172 defaults to @file{~/}.
18174 @item gnus-directory
18175 @vindex gnus-directory
18176 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
18177 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
18178 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
18180 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
18181 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
18182 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
18183 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
18185 @item gnus-default-directory
18186 @vindex gnus-default-directory
18187 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
18188 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
18189 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
18190 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
18191 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
18192 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
18195 @vindex gnus-verbose
18196 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
18197 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
18198 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
18199 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
18200 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
18202 @item gnus-verbose-backends
18203 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
18204 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
18205 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
18207 @item nnheader-max-head-length
18208 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
18209 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
18210 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
18211 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
18212 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
18213 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
18214 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
18215 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
18216 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
18218 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
18219 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
18220 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
18221 read when doing the operation described above.
18223 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18224 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18226 @cindex invalid characters in file names
18227 @cindex characters in file names
18228 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
18229 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
18230 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
18233 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18237 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
18238 Windows (phooey) systems.
18240 @item gnus-hidden-properties
18241 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
18242 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
18243 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
18244 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
18246 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
18247 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
18248 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
18249 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
18250 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
18252 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
18253 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
18254 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
18263 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
18264 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
18266 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
18268 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
18274 Not because of victories @*
18277 but for the common sunshine,@*
18279 the largess of the spring.
18283 but for the day's work done@*
18284 as well as I was able;@*
18285 not for a seat upon the dais@*
18286 but at the common table.@*
18291 @chapter Appendices
18294 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
18295 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
18296 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
18297 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
18298 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
18299 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
18300 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
18301 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
18309 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
18310 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
18312 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
18313 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
18314 @file{http://quimby.gnus.org/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
18315 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
18316 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
18318 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
18319 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
18320 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
18321 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
18322 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
18323 appropriate name, don't you think?)
18325 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
18326 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
18327 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
18328 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
18331 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
18332 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
18333 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
18334 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
18335 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
18336 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
18337 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
18338 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
18339 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
18340 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
18344 @node Gnus Versions
18345 @subsection Gnus Versions
18346 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
18348 @cindex September Gnus
18349 @cindex Quassia Gnus
18351 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
18352 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
18353 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
18355 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
18356 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
18358 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
18359 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
18361 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
18362 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
18364 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
18365 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
18368 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
18369 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
18370 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
18371 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
18372 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
18376 @node Other Gnus Versions
18377 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
18380 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
18381 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
18382 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
18383 @sc{mime} capabilities.
18385 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
18386 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
18387 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
18388 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
18395 What's the point of Gnus?
18397 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
18398 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
18399 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
18400 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
18401 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
18402 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
18403 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
18404 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
18405 keep track of millions of people who post?
18407 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
18408 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
18409 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
18410 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
18411 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
18412 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
18413 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
18414 every one of you to explore and invent.
18416 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
18417 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
18420 @node Compatibility
18421 @subsection Compatibility
18423 @cindex compatibility
18424 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
18425 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
18426 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
18431 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
18435 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
18438 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
18441 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
18442 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
18443 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
18444 important variables have their values copied into their global
18445 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
18446 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
18448 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
18449 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
18450 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
18451 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
18452 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
18456 @cindex highlighting
18457 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
18458 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
18459 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
18460 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
18461 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
18462 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
18465 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
18466 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
18467 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
18468 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
18470 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
18471 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
18472 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
18473 to stop doing it the old way.
18475 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
18477 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
18479 @cindex reporting bugs
18481 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
18482 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
18483 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
18485 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
18486 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
18487 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
18488 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
18493 @subsection Conformity
18495 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
18496 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
18503 There are no known breaches of this standard.
18507 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
18509 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
18510 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
18511 We do have some breaches to this one.
18517 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
18518 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
18519 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
18520 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
18521 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
18526 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
18527 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
18528 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
18529 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
18533 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
18534 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
18539 @subsection Emacsen
18545 Gnus should work on :
18553 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
18557 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
18558 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
18559 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
18560 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
18561 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
18563 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
18564 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
18565 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
18569 @node Gnus Development
18570 @subsection Gnus Development
18572 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
18573 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
18574 propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
18575 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
18576 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
18577 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
18578 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
18579 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
18581 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
18582 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
18583 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
18584 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
18585 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
18588 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
18589 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
18590 In particular, @code{nnmail-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
18591 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
18592 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
18594 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
18595 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
18596 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
18597 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
18598 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
18599 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
18600 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
18601 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
18602 usually keep up with these rapid changes, whille people on the newsgroup
18603 can't be assumed to do so.
18608 @subsection Contributors
18609 @cindex contributors
18611 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
18612 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
18613 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
18614 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
18615 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
18616 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
18617 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
18618 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
18619 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
18620 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
18622 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
18628 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
18631 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
18632 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
18633 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
18634 functionality and stuff.
18637 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
18638 well as numerous other things).
18641 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
18644 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
18647 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
18650 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
18651 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
18654 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
18657 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
18658 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
18661 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
18664 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
18667 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
18670 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
18673 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
18674 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
18677 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
18680 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
18683 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
18686 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
18690 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
18693 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
18696 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
18699 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
18700 well as autoconf support.
18704 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
18705 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
18707 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
18716 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
18720 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
18730 Alexei V. Barantsev,
18745 Massimo Campostrini,
18750 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
18751 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
18755 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
18758 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
18764 Michael Welsh Duggan,
18769 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
18773 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
18781 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
18783 Michelangelo Grigni,
18787 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
18789 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
18791 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
18798 François Felix Ingrand,
18799 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
18800 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
18802 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
18813 Peter Skov Knudsen,
18814 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
18816 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
18817 Thor Kristoffersen,
18820 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
18838 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
18839 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
18846 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
18851 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
18855 John McClary Prevost,
18861 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
18866 Christian von Roques,
18869 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
18876 Philippe Schnoebelen,
18878 Randal L. Schwartz,
18892 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
18897 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
18913 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
18918 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
18919 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
18920 (550kB and counting).
18922 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
18925 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
18926 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
18930 @subsection New Features
18931 @cindex new features
18934 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
18935 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
18936 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
18937 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
18940 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
18941 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
18942 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
18946 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
18948 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
18953 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
18954 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
18957 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
18958 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
18961 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
18964 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
18965 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
18966 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
18969 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
18970 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
18971 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
18972 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
18975 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
18976 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
18979 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
18980 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
18981 (@pxref{The Active File}).
18984 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
18985 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
18988 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
18989 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
18990 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
18993 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
18994 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
18995 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
18998 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
18999 the @file{.emacs} file.
19002 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
19003 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19006 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
19007 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
19010 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
19011 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19014 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
19015 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
19018 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
19019 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19022 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
19025 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
19026 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
19029 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
19030 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
19033 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
19034 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
19037 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
19040 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
19041 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19044 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
19048 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
19052 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
19053 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
19056 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
19062 @node September Gnus
19063 @subsubsection September Gnus
19067 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
19071 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
19076 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
19077 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
19081 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
19082 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
19086 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
19090 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
19091 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
19094 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
19098 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19101 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
19104 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
19107 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
19111 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
19112 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
19115 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
19119 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
19123 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
19127 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
19131 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
19134 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
19135 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
19138 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
19142 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
19143 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
19146 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
19149 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
19150 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
19151 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19154 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
19158 The Gnus cache is much faster.
19161 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
19165 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
19166 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19169 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
19170 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
19173 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
19174 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19177 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
19178 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
19179 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
19182 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
19183 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
19186 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
19189 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19192 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
19195 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
19198 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
19199 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
19202 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
19206 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
19209 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
19214 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
19217 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
19221 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19224 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
19228 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
19231 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
19234 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
19235 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19238 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
19239 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
19243 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
19244 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
19247 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
19251 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
19252 buffer to allow easier treatment.
19255 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
19258 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
19262 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
19266 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
19267 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
19270 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
19274 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
19275 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19278 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
19279 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
19282 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
19286 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
19289 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
19292 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
19298 @subsubsection Red Gnus
19300 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
19304 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
19311 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
19314 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
19315 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19318 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
19319 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
19323 Article washing status can be displayed in the
19324 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
19327 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
19330 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
19331 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
19334 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
19338 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
19339 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
19343 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
19344 Server Internals}).
19347 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
19351 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
19354 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
19355 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
19358 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
19359 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
19360 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
19363 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
19364 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
19367 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
19368 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
19371 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
19375 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
19376 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
19379 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
19380 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
19383 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
19387 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
19390 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
19394 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
19395 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
19398 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
19399 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
19402 A new command for reading collections of documents
19403 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
19404 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
19407 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
19411 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
19412 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
19415 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
19416 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
19417 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
19420 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
19421 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
19425 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
19429 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
19433 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
19438 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
19442 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
19446 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
19447 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
19450 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
19456 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
19458 New features in Gnus 5.6:
19463 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
19464 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
19465 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
19468 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
19469 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
19470 group, which is created automatically.
19473 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
19477 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
19480 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
19481 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
19484 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
19488 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
19491 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
19492 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
19495 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
19498 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
19499 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
19502 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
19503 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
19506 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
19507 control over simplification.
19510 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
19513 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
19517 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
19520 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
19523 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
19524 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
19525 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
19528 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
19529 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
19532 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
19536 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
19537 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
19540 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
19541 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
19544 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
19548 A history of where mails have been split is available.
19551 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
19554 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
19555 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
19558 A new function for citing in Message has been
19559 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
19562 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
19565 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
19569 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
19570 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
19573 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
19574 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
19577 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
19580 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
19585 @node Newest Features
19586 @subsection Newest Features
19589 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
19592 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
19594 (That a feature appears in this list doesn't necessarily mean that I've
19595 decided to actually implement it. It just means that I think it sounds
19598 (Yes, this is the actual, up-to-the-second todo list.)
19603 I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the
19604 latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it.
19607 A way to continue editing the latest Message composition.
19610 http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/ari3/
19613 facep is not declared.
19616 Include a section in the manual on why the number of articles
19617 isn't the same in the group buffer and on the SPC prompt.
19620 Interacting with rmail fcc isn't easy.
19625 <URL:http://www.falch.no/people/pepper/DSSSL-Lite/archives/>
19626 <URL:http://www.eit.com/software/hypermail/hypermail.html>
19627 <URL:http://homer.ncm.com/>
19628 <URL:http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/HTML_Converters/>
19629 http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9610/index.html
19630 <URL:http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/html/converters.html>
19631 http://www.miranova.com/gnus-list/
19636 @samp{^-- } is made into - in LaTeX.
19639 gnus-kill is much slower than it was in GNUS 4.1.3.
19642 when expunging articles on low score, the sparse nodes keep hanging on?
19644 starting the first time seems to hang Gnus on some systems. Does
19645 NEWGROUPS answer too fast?
19647 nndir doesn't read gzipped files.
19649 FAQ doesn't have an up node?
19651 when moving mail from a procmail spool to the crash-box,
19652 the crash-box is only appropriate to one specific group.
19654 `t' `t' makes X-Faces disappear.
19656 nnmh-be-safe means that crossposted articles will
19657 be marked as unread.
19659 Orphan score entries don't show on "V t" score trace
19661 when clearing out data, the cache data should also be reset.
19663 rewrite gnus-summary-limit-children to be non-recursive
19664 to avoid exceeding lisp nesting on huge groups.
19666 expunged articles are counted when computing scores.
19668 implement gnus-batch-brew-soup
19670 ticked articles aren't easy to read in pick mode -- `n' and
19671 stuff just skips past them. Read articles are the same.
19673 topics that contain just groups with ticked
19674 articles aren't displayed.
19676 nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs.
19678 If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll
19679 make the mail groups killed.
19681 no "no news is good news" when using topics.
19683 when doing crosspost marking, the cache has to be consulted
19684 and articles have to be removed.
19686 nnweb should fetch complete articles when they are split into several
19689 scoring on head immediate doesn't work.
19691 finding short score file names takes forever.
19693 canceling articles in foreign groups.
19695 nntp-open-rlogin no longer works.
19697 C-u C-x C-s (Summary) switches to the group buffer.
19699 move nnmail-split-history out to the backends.
19701 nnweb doesn't work properly.
19703 using a virtual server name as `gnus-select-method' doesn't work?
19705 when killing/yanking a group from one topic to another in a slave, the
19706 master will yank it first to one topic and then add it to another.
19710 warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file?
19712 take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs
19713 bar and the Gnus bar.
19716 push active file and NOV file parsing down into C code.
19717 `(canonize-message-id id)'
19718 `(mail-parent-message-id references n)'
19719 `(parse-news-nov-line &optional dependency-hashtb)'
19720 `(parse-news-nov-region beg end &optional dependency-hashtb fullp)'
19721 `(parse-news-active-region beg end hashtb)'
19726 nnml .overview directory with splits.
19730 postponed commands.
19732 the selected article show have its Subject displayed in its summary line.
19734 when entering groups, get the real number of unread articles from
19737 sort after gathering threads -- make false roots have the
19738 headers of the oldest orphan with a 0 article number?
19740 nndoc groups should inherit the score files of their parents? Also
19741 inherit copy prompts and save files.
19743 command to start up Gnus (if not running) and enter a mail mode buffer.
19745 allow editing the group description from the group buffer
19746 for backends that support that.
19748 gnus-hide,show-all-topics
19750 groups and sub-topics should be allowed to mingle inside each topic,
19751 and not just list all subtopics at the end.
19753 a command to remove all read articles that are not needed to connect
19754 threads -- `gnus-summary-limit-to-sparse-unread'?
19756 a variable to turn off limiting/cutting of threads in the tree buffer.
19758 a variable to limit how many files are uudecoded.
19760 add zombie groups to a special "New Groups" topic.
19762 server mode command: close/open all connections
19764 put a file date in gnus-score-alist and check whether the file
19765 has been changed before using it.
19767 on exit from a digest group, go to the next article in the parent group.
19769 hide (sub)threads with low score.
19771 when expiring, remove all marks from expired articles.
19773 gnus-summary-limit-to-body
19775 a regexp alist that says what level groups are to be subscribed
19776 on. Eg. -- `(("nnml:" . 1))'.
19778 easier interface to nnkiboze to create ephemeral groups that
19779 contain groups that match a regexp.
19781 allow newlines in <URL:> urls, but remove them before using
19784 If there is no From line, the mail backends should fudge one from the
19787 fuzzy simplifying should strip all non-alpha-numerical info
19788 from subject lines.
19790 gnus-soup-brew-soup-with-high-scores.
19792 nntp-ping-before-connect
19794 command to check whether NOV is evil. "list overview.fmt".
19796 when entering a group, Gnus should look through the score
19797 files very early for `local' atoms and set those local variables.
19799 message annotations.
19801 topics are always yanked before groups, and that's not good.
19803 (set-extent-property extent 'help-echo "String to display in minibuf")
19804 to display help in the minibuffer on buttons under XEmacs.
19806 allow group line format spec to say how many articles there
19811 `run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon.
19813 stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead
19815 C-c C-f C-e to add an Expires header.
19817 go from one group to the next; everything is expunged; go to the
19818 next group instead of going to the group buffer.
19820 gnus-renumber-cache -- to renumber the cache using "low" numbers.
19822 record topic changes in the dribble buffer.
19824 `nnfolder-generate-active-file' should look at the folders it
19825 finds and generate proper active ranges.
19827 nneething-look-in-files-for-article-heads variable to control
19828 whether nneething should sniff all files in the directories.
19830 gnus-fetch-article -- start Gnus, enter group, display article
19832 gnus-dont-move-articles-to-same-group variable when respooling.
19834 when messages are crossposted between several auto-expirable groups,
19835 articles aren't properly marked as expirable.
19837 nneething should allow deletion/moving.
19839 TAB on the last button should go to the first button.
19841 if the car of an element in `mail-split-methods' is a function,
19842 and the function returns non-nil, use that as the name of the group(s) to
19845 command for listing all score files that have been applied.
19847 a command in the article buffer to return to `summary' config.
19849 `gnus-always-post-using-current-server' -- variable to override
19850 `C-c C-c' when posting.
19852 nnmail-group-spool-alist -- says where each group should use
19855 when an article is crossposted to an auto-expirable group, the article
19856 should be marker as expirable.
19858 article mode command/menu for "send region as URL to browser".
19860 on errors, jump to info nodes that explain the error. For instance,
19861 on invalid From headers, or on error messages from the nntp server.
19863 when gathering threads, make the article that has no "Re: " the parent.
19864 Also consult Date headers.
19866 a token in splits to call shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer
19868 `1 0 A M' to do matches on the active hashtb.
19870 duplicates -- command to remove Gnus-Warning header, use the read
19871 Message-ID, delete the "original".
19873 when replying to several messages at once, put the "other" message-ids
19874 into a See-Also header.
19876 support setext: URL:http://www.bsdi.com/setext/
19878 support ProleText: <URL:http://proletext.clari.net/prole/proletext.html>
19880 when browsing a foreign server, the groups that are already subscribed
19881 should be listed as such and not as "K".
19883 generate font names dynamically.
19885 score file mode auto-alist.
19887 allow nndoc to change/add/delete things from documents. Implement
19888 methods for each format for adding an article to the document.
19890 `gnus-fetch-old-headers' `all' value to incorporate
19891 absolutely all headers there is.
19893 function like `|', but concatenate all marked articles
19894 and pipe them to the process.
19896 cache the list of killed (or active) groups in a separate file. Update
19897 the file whenever we read the active file or the list
19898 of killed groups in the .eld file reaches a certain length.
19900 function for starting to edit a file to put into
19901 the current mail group.
19903 score-find-trace should display the total score of the article.
19905 "ghettozie" -- score on Xref header and nix it out after using it
19906 to avoid marking as read in other groups it has been crossposted to.
19908 look at procmail splitting. The backends should create
19909 the groups automatically if a spool file exists for that group.
19911 function for backends to register themselves with Gnus.
19913 when replying to several process-marked articles,
19914 have all the From end up in Cc headers? Variable to toggle.
19916 command to delete a crossposted mail article from all
19917 groups it has been mailed to.
19919 `B c' and `B m' should be crosspost aware.
19921 hide-pgp should also hide PGP public key blocks.
19923 Command in the group buffer to respool process-marked groups.
19925 `gnus-summary-find-matching' should accept
19926 pseudo-"headers" like "body", "head" and "all"
19928 When buttifying <URL: > things, all white space (including
19929 newlines) should be ignored.
19931 Process-marking all groups in a topic should process-mark
19932 groups in subtopics as well.
19934 Add non-native groups to the list of killed groups when killing them.
19936 nntp-suggest-kewl-config to probe the nntp server and suggest
19939 add edit and forward secondary marks.
19941 nnml shouldn't visit its .overview files.
19943 allow customizing sorting within gathered threads.
19945 `B q' shouldn't select the current article.
19947 nnmbox should support a newsgroups file for descriptions.
19949 allow fetching mail from several pop servers.
19951 Be able to specify whether the saving commands save the original
19952 or the formatted article.
19954 a command to reparent with the child process-marked (cf. `T ^'.).
19956 I think the possibility to send a password with nntp-open-rlogin
19957 should be a feature in Red Gnus.
19959 The `Z n' command should be possible to execute from a mouse click.
19961 more limiting functions -- date, etc.
19963 be able to limit on a random header; on body; using reverse matches.
19965 a group parameter (`absofucking-total-expiry') that will make Gnus expire
19966 even unread articles.
19968 a command to print the article buffer as postscript.
19970 variable to disable password fetching when opening by nntp-open-telnet.
19972 manual: more example servers -- nntp with rlogin, telnet
19974 checking for bogus groups should clean topic alists as well.
19976 canceling articles in foreign groups.
19978 article number in folded topics isn't properly updated by
19981 Movement in the group buffer to the next unread group should go to the
19982 next closed topic with unread messages if no group can be found.
19984 Extensive info pages generated on the fly with help everywhere --
19985 in the "*Gnus edit*" buffers, for instance.
19987 Topic movement commands -- like thread movement. Up, down, forward, next.
19989 a way to tick/mark as read Gcc'd articles.
19991 a way to say that all groups within a specific topic comes
19992 from a particular server? Hm.
19994 `gnus-article-fill-if-long-lines' -- a function to fill
19995 the article buffer if there are any looong lines there.
19997 `T h' should jump to the parent topic and fold it.
19999 a command to create an ephemeral nndoc group out of a file,
20000 and then splitting it/moving it to some other group/backend.
20002 a group parameter for nnkiboze groups that says that
20003 all kibozed articles should be entered into the cache.
20005 It should also probably be possible to delimit what
20006 `gnus-jog-cache' does -- for instance, work on just some groups, or on
20007 some levels, and entering just articles that have a score higher than
20010 nnfolder should append to the folder instead of re-writing
20011 the entire folder to disk when accepting new messages.
20013 allow all backends to do the proper thing with .gz files.
20015 a backend for reading collections of babyl files nnbabylfolder?
20017 a command for making the native groups into foreign groups.
20019 server mode command for clearing read marks from all groups
20022 when following up multiple articles, include all To, Cc, etc headers
20025 a command for deciding what the total score of the current
20026 thread is. Also a way to highlight based on this.
20028 command to show and edit group scores
20030 a gnus-tree-minimize-horizontal to minimize tree buffers
20033 command to generate nnml overview file for one group.
20035 `C-u C-u a' -- prompt for many crossposted groups.
20037 keep track of which mail groups have received new articles (in this session).
20038 Be able to generate a report and perhaps do some marking in the group
20041 gnus-build-sparse-threads to a number -- build only sparse threads
20042 that are of that length.
20044 have nnmh respect mh's unseen sequence in .mh_profile.
20046 cache the newsgroups descriptions locally.
20048 asynchronous posting under nntp.
20050 be able to control word adaptive scoring from the score files.
20052 a variable to make `C-c C-c' post using the "current" select method.
20054 `limit-exclude-low-scored-articles'.
20056 if `gnus-summary-show-thread' is a number, hide threads that have
20057 a score lower than this number.
20059 split newsgroup subscription variable up into "order" and "method".
20061 buttonize ange-ftp file names.
20063 a command to make a duplicate copy of the current article
20064 so that each copy can be edited separately.
20066 nnweb should allow fetching from the local nntp server.
20068 record the sorting done in the summary buffer so that
20069 it can be repeated when limiting/regenerating the buffer.
20071 nnml-generate-nov-databses should generate for
20074 when the user does commands in the group buffer, check
20075 the modification time of the .newsrc.eld file and use
20076 ask-user-about-supersession-threat. Also warn when trying
20077 to save .newsrc.eld and it has changed.
20079 M-g on a topic will display all groups with 0 articles in
20082 command to remove all topic stuff.
20084 allow exploding incoming digests when reading incoming mail
20085 and splitting the resulting digests.
20087 nnsoup shouldn't set the `message-' variables.
20089 command to nix out all nnoo state information.
20091 nnmail-process-alist that calls functions if group names
20092 matches an alist -- before saving.
20094 use buffer-invisibility-spec everywhere for hiding text.
20096 variable to activate each group before entering them
20097 to get the (new) number of articles. `gnus-activate-before-entering'.
20099 command to fetch a Message-ID from any buffer, even
20100 starting Gnus first if necessary.
20102 when posting and checking whether a group exists or not, just
20103 ask the nntp server instead of relying on the active hashtb.
20105 buttonize the output of `C-c C-a' in an apropos-like way.
20107 `G p' should understand process/prefix, and allow editing
20108 of several groups at once.
20110 command to create an ephemeral nnvirtual group that
20111 matches some regexp(s).
20113 nndoc should understand "Content-Type: message/rfc822" forwarded messages.
20115 it should be possible to score "thread" on the From header.
20117 hitting RET on a "gnus-uu-archive" pseudo article should unpack it.
20119 `B i' should display the article at once in the summary buffer.
20121 remove the "*" mark at once when unticking an article.
20123 `M-s' should highlight the matching text.
20125 when checking for duplicated mails, use Resent-Message-ID if present.
20127 killing and yanking groups in topics should be better. If killing one copy
20128 of a group that exists in multiple topics, only that copy should
20129 be removed. Yanking should insert the copy, and yanking topics
20130 should be possible to be interspersed with the other yankings.
20132 command for enter a group just to read the cached articles. A way to say
20133 "ignore the nntp connection; just read from the cache."
20135 `X u' should decode base64 articles.
20137 a way to hide all "inner" cited text, leaving just the most
20138 recently cited text.
20140 nnvirtual should be asynchronous.
20142 after editing an article, gnus-original-article-buffer should
20145 there should probably be a way to make Gnus not connect to the
20146 server and just read the articles in the server
20148 allow a `set-default' (or something) to change the default
20149 value of nnoo variables.
20151 a command to import group infos from a .newsrc.eld file.
20153 groups from secondary servers have the entire select method
20154 listed in each group info.
20156 a command for just switching from the summary buffer to the group
20159 a way to specify that some incoming mail washing functions
20160 should only be applied to some groups.
20162 Message `C-f C-t' should ask the user whether to heed
20163 mail-copies-to: never.
20165 new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post
20166 using the current server. Also a variable to do the same.
20168 the slave dribble files should auto-save to the slave file names.
20170 a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based
20173 a way to visually distinguish slave Gnusae from masters. (Whip instead
20176 Use DJ Bernstein "From " quoting/dequoting, where applicable.
20178 Why is hide-citation-maybe and hide-citation different? Also
20181 group user-defined meta-parameters.
20185 From: John Griffith <griffith@@sfs.nphil.uni-tuebingen.de>
20187 I like the option for trying to retrieve the FAQ for a group and I was
20188 thinking it would be great if for those newsgroups that had archives
20189 you could also try to read the archive for that group. Part of the
20190 problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs.
20191 What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site.
20193 In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at @*
20194 ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html
20201 From: Jason L Tibbitts III <tibbs@@hpc.uh.edu>
20202 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
20204 (gnus-group-add-parameter group
20205 (cons 'gnus-group-date-last-entered (list (current-time-string))))))
20207 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
20208 "Return the date the group was last read."
20209 (cond ((car (gnus-group-get-parameter gnus-tmp-group 'gnus-group-date-last-entered)))
20214 tanken var at når du bruker `gnus-startup-file' som prefix (FOO) til å lete
20215 opp en fil FOO-SERVER, FOO-SERVER.el, FOO-SERVER.eld, kan du la den være en
20216 liste hvor du bruker hvert element i listen som FOO, istedet. da kunne man
20217 hatt forskjellige serveres startup-filer forskjellige steder.
20221 LMI> Well, nnbabyl could alter the group info to heed labels like
20222 LMI> answered and read, I guess.
20224 It could also keep them updated (the same for the Status: header of
20227 They could be used like this:
20231 `M l <name> RET' add label <name> to current message.
20232 `M u <name> RET' remove label <name> from current message.
20233 `/ l <expr> RET' limit summary buffer according to <expr>.
20235 <expr> would be a boolean expression on the labels, e.g.
20237 `/ l bug & !fixed RET'
20240 would show all the messages which are labeled `bug' but not labeled
20243 One could also imagine the labels being used for highlighting, or
20244 affect the summary line format.
20248 Sender: abraham@@dina.kvl.dk
20250 I'd like a gnus-find-file which work like find file, except that it
20251 would recognize things that looks like messages or folders:
20253 - If it is a directory containing numbered files, create an nndir
20256 - For other directories, create a nneething summary buffer.
20258 - For files matching "\\`From ", create a nndoc/mbox summary.
20260 - For files matching "\\`BABYL OPTIONS:", create a nndoc/baby summary.
20262 - For files matching "\\`[^ \t\n]+:", create an *Article* buffer.
20264 - For other files, just find them normally.
20266 I'd like `nneething' to use this function, so it would work on a
20267 directory potentially containing mboxes or babyl files.
20270 Please send a mail to bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us (Barry A. Warsaw) and
20271 tell him what you are doing.
20274 Currently, I get prompted:
20278 decend into sci.something ?
20282 The problem above is that since there is really only one subsection of
20283 science, shouldn't it prompt you for only descending sci.something? If
20284 there was a sci.somethingelse group or section, then it should prompt
20285 for sci? first the sci.something? then sci.somethingelse?...
20288 Ja, det burde være en måte å si slikt. Kanskje en ny variabel?
20289 `gnus-use-few-score-files'? SÃ¥ kunne score-regler legges til den
20290 "mest" lokale score-fila. F. eks. ville no-gruppene betjenes av
20291 "no.all.SCORE", osv.
20294 What i want is for Gnus to treat any sequence or combination of the following
20295 as a single spoiler warning and hide it all, replacing it with a "Next Page"
20301 more than n blank lines
20303 more than m identical lines
20304 (which should be replaced with button to show them)
20306 any whitespace surrounding any of the above
20310 Well, we could allow a new value to `gnus-thread-ignore-subject' --
20311 `spaces', or something. (We could even default to that.) And then
20312 subjects that differ in white space only could be considered the
20313 "same" subject for threading purposes.
20316 Modes to preprocess the contents (e.g. jka-compr) use the second form
20317 "(REGEXP FUNCTION NON-NIL)" while ordinary modes (e.g. tex) use the first
20318 form "(REGEXP . FUNCTION)", so you could use it to distinguish between
20319 those two types of modes. (auto-modes-alist, insert-file-contents-literally.)
20322 Under XEmacs -- do funny article marks:
20325 soup - bowl of soup
20326 score below - dim light bulb
20327 score over - bright light bulb
20330 Yes. I think the algorithm is as follows:
20335 show-list-of-articles-in-group
20336 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
20337 if (no-more-articles-in-group-to-select)
20338 if (articles-selected)
20339 start-reading-selected-articles;
20340 junk-unread-articles;
20345 else if (key-pressed = '.')
20346 if (consolidated-menus) # same as hide-thread in Gnus
20347 select-thread-under-cursor;
20349 select-article-under-cursor;
20353 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
20354 if (more-pages-in-article)
20356 else if (more-selected-articles-to-read)
20363 My precise need here would have been to limit files to Incoming*.
20364 One could think of some `nneething-only-files' variable, but I guess
20365 it would have been unacceptable if one was using many unrelated such
20368 A more useful approach would be to, in response to the `G D' prompt, be
20369 allowed to say something like: `~/.mail/Incoming*', somewhat limiting
20370 the top-level directory only (in case directories would be matched by
20371 the wildcard expression).
20374 It would be nice if it also handled
20376 <URL:news://sunsite.auc.dk/>
20378 which should correspond to `B nntp RET sunsite.auc.dk' in *Group*.
20383 Take a look at w3-menu.el in the Emacs-W3 distribution - this works out
20384 really well. Each menu is 'named' by a symbol that would be on a
20385 gnus-*-menus (where * would be whatever, but at least group, summary, and
20386 article versions) variable.
20388 So for gnus-summary-menus, I would set to '(sort mark dispose ...)
20390 A value of '1' would just put _all_ the menus in a single 'GNUS' menu in
20391 the main menubar. This approach works really well for Emacs-W3 and VM.
20395 nndoc should take care to create unique Message-IDs for all its
20398 gnus-score-followup-article only works when you have a summary buffer
20399 active. Make it work when posting from the group buffer as well.
20400 (message-sent-hook).
20402 rewrite gnus-demon to use run-with-idle-timers.
20405 * Enhancements to Gnus:
20409 * gnus-servers (gnus-start-server-buffer?)--enters Gnus and goes
20410 straight to the server buffer, without opening any connections to
20413 * gnus-server-read-server-newsrc--produces a buffer very similar to
20414 the group buffer, but with only groups from that server listed;
20415 quitting this buffer returns to the server buffer.
20418 add a command to check the integrity of an nnfolder folder --
20419 go through the article numbers and see that there are no duplicates,
20423 `unsmileyfy-buffer' to undo smileification.
20426 a command to give all relevant info on an article, including all
20430 when doing `-request-accept-article', the backends should do
20431 the nnmail duplicate checking.
20434 allow `message-signature-file' to be a function to return the
20435 value of the signature file.
20438 In addition, I would love it if I could configure message-tab so that it
20439 could call `bbdb-complete-name' in other headers. So, some sort of
20442 (setq message-tab-alist
20443 '((message-header-regexp message-expand-group)
20444 ("^\\(To\\|[cC]c\\|[bB]cc\\)" bbdb-complete-name)))
20446 then you could run the relevant function to complete the information in
20450 cache the newsgroups file locally to avoid reloading it all the time.
20453 a command to import a buffer into a group.
20456 nnweb should allow fetching by Message-ID from servers.
20459 point in the article buffer doesn't always go to the
20460 beginning of the buffer when selecting new articles.
20463 a command to process mark all unread articles.
20466 `gnus-gather-threads-by-references-and-subject' -- first
20467 do gathering by references, and then go through the dummy roots and
20468 do more gathering by subject.
20471 gnus-uu-mark-in-numerical-order -- process mark articles in
20472 article numerical order.
20475 (gnus-thread-total-score
20476 (gnus-id-to-thread (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header))))
20480 sorting by score is wrong when using sparse threads.
20483 a command to fetch an arbitrary article -- without having to be
20484 in the summary buffer.
20487 a new nncvs backend. Each group would show an article, using
20488 version branches as threading, checkin date as the date, etc.
20491 http://www.dejanews.com/forms/dnsetfilter_exp.html ?
20492 This filter allows one to construct advance queries on the Dejanews
20493 database such as specifying start and end dates, subject, author,
20494 and/or newsgroup name.
20497 new Date header scoring type -- older, newer
20500 use the summary toolbar in the article buffer.
20503 a command to fetch all articles that are less than X days old.
20506 in pick mode, `q' should save the list of selected articles in the
20507 group info. The next time the group is selected, these articles
20508 will automatically get the process mark.
20511 Isn't it possible to (also?) allow M-^ to automatically try the
20512 default server if it fails on the current server? (controlled by a
20513 user variable, (nil, t, 'ask)).
20516 make it possible to cancel articles using the select method for the
20520 `gnus-summary-select-article-on-entry' or something. It'll default
20521 to t and will select whatever article decided by `gnus-auto-select-first'.
20524 a new variable to control which selection commands should be unselecting.
20525 `first', `best', `next', `prev', `next-unread', `prev-unread' are
20529 be able to select groups that have no articles in them
20530 to be able to post in them (using the current select method).
20533 be able to post via DejaNews.
20536 `x' should retain any sortings that have been performed.
20539 allow the user to specify the precedence of the secondary marks. Also
20540 allow them to be displayed separately.
20543 gnus-summary-save-in-pipe should concatenate the results from
20544 the processes when doing a process marked pipe.
20547 a new match type, like Followup, but which adds Thread matches on all
20548 articles that match a certain From header.
20551 a function that can be read from kill-emacs-query-functions to offer
20552 saving living summary buffers.
20555 a function for selecting a particular group which will contain
20556 the articles listed in a list of article numbers/id's.
20559 a battery of character translation functions to translate common
20560 Mac, MS (etc) characters into ISO 8859-1.
20563 (defun article-fix-m$word ()
20564 "Fix M$Word smartquotes in an article."
20567 (let ((buffer-read-only nil))
20568 (goto-char (point-min))
20569 (while (search-forward "\221" nil t)
20570 (replace-match "`" t t))
20571 (goto-char (point-min))
20572 (while (search-forward "\222" nil t)
20573 (replace-match "'" t t))
20574 (goto-char (point-min))
20575 (while (search-forward "\223" nil t)
20576 (replace-match "\"" t t))
20577 (goto-char (point-min))
20578 (while (search-forward "\224" nil t)
20579 (replace-match "\"" t t)))))
20584 (add-hook 'gnus-exit-query-functions
20586 (if (and (file-exists-p nnmail-spool-file)
20587 (> (nnheader-file-size nnmail-spool-file) 0))
20588 (yes-or-no-p "New mail has arrived. Quit Gnus anyways? ")
20589 (y-or-n-p "Are you sure you want to quit Gnus? "))))
20593 allow message-default-headers to be a function.
20596 new Date score match types -- < > = (etc) that take floating point
20597 numbers and match on the age of the article.
20601 > > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25
20602 > > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the
20603 > > > buffer in the frame that it was called from =:-O
20605 > > Hm. How do you start up Gnus? From the toolbar or with
20606 > > `M-x gnus-other-frame'?
20608 > I normally start it up from the toolbar; at
20609 > least that's the way I've caught it doing the
20614 all commands that react to the process mark should push
20615 the current process mark set onto the stack.
20618 gnus-article-hide-pgp
20619 Selv ville jeg nok ha valgt å slette den dersom teksten matcher
20621 "\\(This\s+\\)?[^ ]+ has been automatically signed by"
20623 og det er maks hundre tegn mellom match-end og ----linja. Men -det-
20624 er min type heuristikk og langt fra alles.
20627 `gnus-subscribe-sorted' -- insert new groups where they would have been
20628 sorted to if `gnus-group-sort-function' were run.
20631 gnus-(group,summary)-highlight should respect any `face' text props set
20635 use run-with-idle-timer for gnus-demon instead of the
20636 home-brewed stuff for better reliability.
20639 add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc.
20642 nndraft-request-group should tally auto-save files.
20645 implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout.
20648 gnus-article-highlight-limit that says when not to highlight (long)
20652 (nnoo-set SERVER VARIABLE VALUE)
20658 interrupitng agent fetching of articles should save articles.
20661 command to open a digest group, and copy all the articles there to the
20665 a variable to disable article body highlights if there's more than
20666 X characters in the body.
20669 handle 480/381 authinfo requests separately.
20672 include the texi/dir file in the distribution.
20675 format spec to "tab" to a position.
20678 Move all prompting to the new `M-n' default style.
20681 command to display all dormant articles.
20684 gnus-auto-select-next makeover -- list of things it should do.
20687 a score match type that adds scores matching on From if From has replied
20688 to something someone else has said.
20691 Read Netscape discussion groups:
20692 snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.communicator.unix
20695 One command to edit the original version if an article, and one to edit
20696 the displayed version.
20699 @kbd{T v} -- make all process-marked articles the children of the
20703 Switch from initial text to the new default text mechanism.
20706 How about making it possible to expire local articles? Will it be
20707 possible to make various constraints on when an article can be
20708 expired, e.g. (read), (age > 14 days), or the more interesting (read
20712 New limit command---limit to articles that have a certain string
20713 in the head or body.
20716 Allow breaking lengthy @sc{nntp} commands.
20719 gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles.
20722 Editing an article should put the article to be edited
20723 in a special, unique buffer.
20726 A command to send a mail to the admin-address group param.
20729 A Date scoring type that will match if the article
20730 is less than a certain number of days old.
20733 New spec: %~(tab 56) to put point on column 56
20736 Allow Gnus Agent scoring to use normal score files.
20739 Rething the Agent active file thing. `M-g' doesn't update the active
20740 file, for instance.
20743 With dummy roots, `^' and then selecing the first article
20744 in any other dummy thread will make gnus highlight the
20745 dummy root instead of the first article.
20748 Propagate all group properties (marks, article numbers, etc) up to the
20749 topics for displaying.
20752 `n' in the group buffer with topics should go to the next group
20753 with unread articles, even if that group is hidden in a topic.
20756 gnus-posting-styles doesn't work in drafts.
20759 gnus-summary-limit-include-cached is slow when there are
20760 many articles in the cache, since it regenerates big parts of the
20761 summary buffer for each article.
20764 Implement gnus-batch-brew-soup.
20767 Group parameters and summary commands for un/subscribing to mailing
20771 Introduce nnmail-home-directory.
20774 gnus-fetch-group and friends should exit Gnus when the user
20778 The jingle is only played on the second invocation of Gnus.
20781 Bouncing articles should do MIME.
20784 Crossposted articles should "inherit" the % or @ mark from the other
20785 groups it has been crossposted to, or something. (Agent.)
20788 If point is on a group that appears multiple times in topics, and
20789 you press `l', point will move to the first instance of the group.
20792 A spec for the group line format to display the number of
20793 agent-downloaded articles in the group.
20796 Some nntp servers never respond when posting, so there should be a
20797 timeout for all commands.
20800 When stading on a topic line and `t'-ing, point goes to the last line.
20801 It should go somewhere else.
20804 I'm having trouble accessing a newsgroup with a "+" in its name with
20805 Gnus. There is a new newsgroup on msnews.microsoft.com named
20806 "microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time" that I'm trying to
20808 "nntp+msnews.microsoft.com:microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time"
20809 but it gives an error that it cant access the group.
20811 Is the "+" character illegal in newsgroup names? Is there any way in
20812 Gnus to work around this? (gnus 5.6.45 - XEmacs 20.4)
20819 Subject: Answer to your mails 01.01.1999-01.05.1999
20820 --text follows this line--
20821 Sorry I killfiled you...
20823 Under the subject "foo", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
20825 Under the subject "foo1", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
20830 Allow "orphan" scores in the Agent scoring.
20834 - Edit article's summary line.
20836 - Sort lines in buffer by subject
20838 --> the old subject line appears in Summary buffer, not the one that was
20844 Remove list identifiers from the subject in the summary when doing `^'
20848 Have the Agent write out articles, one by one, as it retrieves them,
20849 to avoid having to re-fetch them all if Emacs should crash while
20853 Be able to forward groups of messages as MIME digests.
20856 nnweb should include the "get whole article" article when getting articles.
20859 When I type W W c (gnus-article-hide-citation) in the summary
20860 buffer, the citations are revealed, but the [+] buttons don't turn
20861 into [-] buttons. (If I click on one of the [+] buttons, it does
20862 turn into a [-] button.)
20865 Perhaps there should be a command to "attach" a buffer of comments to
20866 a message? That is, `B WHATEVER', you're popped into a buffer, write
20867 something, end with `C-c C-c', and then the thing you've written gets
20868 to be the child of the message you're commenting.
20871 Handle external-body parts.
20874 Solve the halting problem.
20883 @section The Manual
20887 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
20888 either @code{texi2dvi}
20890 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
20891 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
20893 to get what you hold in your hands now.
20895 The following conventions have been used:
20900 This is a @samp{string}
20903 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
20906 This is a @file{file}
20909 This is a @code{symbol}
20913 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
20917 (setq flargnoze "yes")
20920 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
20923 (setq flumphel 'yes)
20926 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
20927 ever get them confused.
20931 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
20932 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
20933 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
20934 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
20935 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
20936 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
20937 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
20943 @node On Writing Manuals
20944 @section On Writing Manuals
20946 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
20947 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
20948 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
20949 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
20950 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
20951 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
20954 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
20955 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
20956 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
20959 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
20960 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
20965 @section Terminology
20967 @cindex terminology
20972 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
20973 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
20974 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
20975 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
20976 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
20980 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
20981 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
20982 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
20983 not posting, and replying is not following up.
20987 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
20991 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
20996 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
20997 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
20998 is all done by the backends.
21002 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
21003 default, way of getting news.
21007 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
21008 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
21013 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
21014 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
21018 A message that has been posted as news.
21021 @cindex mail message
21022 A message that has been mailed.
21026 A mail message or news article
21030 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
21035 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
21040 A line from the head of an article.
21044 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
21045 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
21049 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
21050 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
21051 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
21052 normal @sc{head} format.
21056 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
21057 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
21058 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
21059 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
21060 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
21061 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
21063 @item killed groups
21064 @cindex killed groups
21065 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
21066 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
21068 @item zombie groups
21069 @cindex zombie groups
21070 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
21073 @cindex active file
21074 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
21075 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
21076 is rather large, as you might surmise.
21079 @cindex bogus groups
21080 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
21081 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
21082 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
21085 @cindex activating groups
21086 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
21087 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
21088 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
21092 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
21094 @item select method
21095 @cindex select method
21096 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
21099 @item virtual server
21100 @cindex virtual server
21101 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
21102 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
21103 whole is a virtual server.
21107 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
21108 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
21111 @item ephemeral groups
21112 @cindex ephemeral groups
21113 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
21114 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
21115 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
21118 @cindex solid groups
21119 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
21120 group buffer are solid groups.
21122 @item sparse articles
21123 @cindex sparse articles
21124 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
21125 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
21129 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
21130 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
21134 @cindex thread root
21135 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
21136 articles in the thread.
21140 An article that has responses.
21144 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
21148 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
21149 specified by RFC 1153.
21155 @node Customization
21156 @section Customization
21157 @cindex general customization
21159 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
21160 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
21161 for some quite common situations.
21164 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
21165 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
21166 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
21167 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
21171 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
21172 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
21174 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
21175 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
21176 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
21180 @item gnus-read-active-file
21181 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
21182 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
21183 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
21184 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
21185 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
21187 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
21188 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
21189 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
21190 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
21194 @node Slow Terminal Connection
21195 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
21197 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
21198 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
21199 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
21203 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
21204 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
21205 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
21206 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
21207 horizontal and vertical recentering.
21209 @item gnus-visible-headers
21210 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
21211 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
21212 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
21213 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
21215 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
21217 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
21218 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
21219 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
21222 @item gnus-use-full-window
21223 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
21224 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
21225 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
21226 want to read them anyway.
21228 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
21229 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
21232 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
21233 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
21234 lines, which might save some time.
21238 @node Little Disk Space
21239 @subsection Little Disk Space
21242 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
21243 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
21247 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
21248 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
21249 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21250 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21253 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
21254 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
21255 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21256 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21259 @item gnus-save-killed-list
21260 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
21261 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
21262 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
21263 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
21269 @subsection Slow Machine
21270 @cindex slow machine
21272 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
21273 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
21275 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
21276 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
21278 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
21279 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
21280 summary buffer faster.
21284 @node Troubleshooting
21285 @section Troubleshooting
21286 @cindex troubleshooting
21288 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
21296 Make sure your computer is switched on.
21299 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
21300 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
21304 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
21305 like @samp{T-gnus 6.14.* (based on Pterodactyl Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*,
21306 FLIM 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you
21307 get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some
21308 old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
21311 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
21315 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
21316 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
21317 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
21318 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
21319 something like that.
21322 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
21325 @cindex reporting bugs
21327 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
21329 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
21330 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
21331 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
21332 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
21334 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
21335 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
21336 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
21337 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
21340 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
21341 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
21342 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
21343 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
21344 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
21345 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
21347 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
21348 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
21349 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
21352 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
21353 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
21355 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
21356 @cindex ding mailing list
21357 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
21358 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
21362 @node Gnus Reference Guide
21363 @section Gnus Reference Guide
21365 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
21366 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
21367 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
21368 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
21371 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
21372 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
21373 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
21374 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
21375 and general methods of operation.
21378 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
21379 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
21380 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
21381 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
21382 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
21383 * Group Info:: The group info format.
21384 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
21385 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
21386 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
21390 @node Gnus Utility Functions
21391 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
21392 @cindex Gnus utility functions
21393 @cindex utility functions
21395 @cindex internal variables
21397 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
21398 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
21399 Below is a list of the most common ones.
21403 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
21404 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
21405 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
21407 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
21408 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
21409 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
21411 @item gnus-group-real-name
21412 @findex gnus-group-real-name
21413 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
21416 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
21417 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
21418 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
21419 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
21421 @item gnus-get-info
21422 @findex gnus-get-info
21423 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
21425 @item gnus-group-unread
21426 @findex gnus-group-unread
21427 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
21431 @findex gnus-active
21432 The active entry for @var{group}.
21434 @item gnus-set-active
21435 @findex gnus-set-active
21436 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
21438 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
21439 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
21440 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
21443 @item gnus-continuum-version
21444 @findex gnus-continuum-version
21445 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
21446 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
21449 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
21450 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
21451 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
21453 @item gnus-news-group-p
21454 @findex gnus-news-group-p
21455 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
21457 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21458 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21459 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
21461 @item gnus-server-to-method
21462 @findex gnus-server-to-method
21463 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
21465 @item gnus-server-equal
21466 @findex gnus-server-equal
21467 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
21469 @item gnus-group-native-p
21470 @findex gnus-group-native-p
21471 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
21473 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
21474 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
21475 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
21477 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
21478 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
21479 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
21481 @item group-group-find-parameter
21482 @findex group-group-find-parameter
21483 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
21484 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
21486 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
21487 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
21488 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
21490 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
21491 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
21492 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
21494 @item gnus-check-backend-function
21495 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
21496 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
21497 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
21500 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
21504 @item gnus-read-method
21505 @findex gnus-read-method
21506 Prompts the user for a select method.
21511 @node Backend Interface
21512 @subsection Backend Interface
21514 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
21515 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
21516 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
21517 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
21518 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
21519 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
21521 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
21522 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
21523 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
21524 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
21525 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
21526 been opened, the function should fail.
21528 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
21529 name. Take this example:
21533 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
21534 (nntp-port-number 4324))
21537 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
21538 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
21540 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
21541 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
21542 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
21544 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
21545 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
21546 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
21548 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
21549 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
21550 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
21551 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
21552 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
21553 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
21556 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
21557 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
21558 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
21559 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
21562 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
21565 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
21568 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
21569 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
21570 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
21571 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
21572 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
21573 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
21577 @node Required Backend Functions
21578 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
21582 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
21584 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
21585 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
21586 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
21587 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
21589 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
21590 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
21591 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
21592 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
21594 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
21595 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
21596 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
21597 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
21598 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
21599 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
21600 number, do maximum fetches.
21602 Here's an example HEAD:
21605 221 1056 Article retrieved.
21606 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
21607 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
21608 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
21609 Subject: Re: Something very droll
21610 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
21611 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
21613 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
21614 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
21615 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
21619 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
21620 these in the data buffer.
21622 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
21626 head = error / valid-head
21627 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
21628 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
21629 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
21630 header = <text> eol
21633 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
21634 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
21638 nov-buffer = *nov-line
21639 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
21640 field = <text except TAB>
21643 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
21647 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
21649 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
21650 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
21652 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
21653 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
21654 server. In fact, it should do so.
21656 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
21657 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
21660 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
21662 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
21663 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
21666 There should be no data returned.
21669 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
21671 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
21672 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
21673 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
21674 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
21676 There should be no data returned.
21679 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
21681 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
21682 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
21683 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
21684 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
21686 There should be no data returned.
21689 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
21691 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
21693 There should be no data returned.
21696 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
21698 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
21699 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
21700 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
21701 it would be nice if that were possible.
21703 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
21704 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
21705 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
21706 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
21707 into its article buffer.
21709 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
21710 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
21711 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
21712 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
21713 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
21714 on successful article retrieval.
21717 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
21719 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
21720 making @var{group} the current group.
21722 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
21725 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
21728 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
21731 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
21732 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
21733 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
21734 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
21735 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
21736 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
21737 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
21738 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
21741 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
21742 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
21743 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
21747 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21749 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
21750 a no-op on most backends.
21752 There should be no data returned.
21755 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
21757 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
21760 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
21763 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
21764 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
21767 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
21768 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
21771 active-file = *active-line
21772 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
21774 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
21777 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
21778 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
21779 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
21782 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
21784 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
21785 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
21786 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
21787 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
21788 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
21789 clear if the posting could not be completed.
21791 There should be no result data from this function.
21796 @node Optional Backend Functions
21797 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
21801 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
21803 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
21804 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
21805 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
21807 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
21808 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
21809 former is in the same format as the data from
21810 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
21811 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
21814 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
21818 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
21820 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
21821 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
21822 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
21823 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
21824 should return the (altered) group info.
21826 There should be no result data from this function.
21829 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
21831 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
21832 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
21833 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
21834 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
21835 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
21836 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
21837 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
21838 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
21840 There should be no result data from this function.
21843 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
21845 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
21846 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
21847 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
21848 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
21849 propagate the mark information to the server.
21851 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
21854 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
21857 Range is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. Action is
21858 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
21859 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
21860 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
21861 mentioned) marks. Mark is a list of marks; where each mark is a symbol.
21862 Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
21863 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
21864 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
21865 not limit itself to these.
21867 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
21868 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
21869 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
21870 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
21872 An example action list:
21875 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
21876 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
21877 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
21880 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
21881 mark on (currently not used for anything).
21883 There should be no result data from this function.
21885 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
21887 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
21888 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
21889 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
21890 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
21891 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
21893 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
21894 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
21895 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
21898 There should be no result data from this function.
21901 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
21903 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
21904 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
21905 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
21906 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
21907 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
21908 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
21909 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
21911 There should be no result data from this function.
21914 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
21916 The result data from this function should be a description of
21920 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
21922 description = <text>
21925 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
21927 The result data from this function should be the description of all
21928 groups available on the server.
21931 description-buffer = *description-line
21935 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
21937 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
21938 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
21939 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
21942 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21944 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
21946 There should be no return data.
21949 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
21951 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
21952 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
21953 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
21954 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
21955 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
21958 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
21961 There should be no result data returned.
21964 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
21967 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
21968 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
21970 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
21971 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
21972 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
21973 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
21974 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
21975 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
21977 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
21978 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
21981 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21982 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21984 There should be no data returned.
21987 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
21989 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
21990 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
21991 this function in short order.
21993 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21994 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21996 There should be no data returned.
21999 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
22001 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
22002 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
22004 There should be no data returned.
22007 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
22009 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
22010 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
22011 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
22013 There should be no data returned.
22016 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
22018 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
22019 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
22021 There should be no data returned.
22026 @node Error Messaging
22027 @subsubsection Error Messaging
22029 @findex nnheader-report
22030 @findex nnheader-get-report
22031 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
22032 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
22033 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
22034 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
22035 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
22036 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
22039 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
22041 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
22044 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
22045 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
22046 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
22047 takes one argument---the server symbol.
22049 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
22050 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
22051 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
22054 @node Writing New Backends
22055 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
22057 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
22058 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
22059 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
22060 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
22061 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
22064 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
22065 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
22066 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
22068 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
22069 package called @code{nnoo}.
22071 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
22072 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
22078 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
22079 parameters. For instance:
22082 (nnoo-declare nndir
22086 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
22087 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
22090 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
22091 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
22092 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
22094 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
22095 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
22096 a function in those backends.
22099 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
22100 "Where nndir will look for groups."
22101 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
22104 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
22105 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
22106 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
22108 @item nnoo-define-basics
22109 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
22113 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
22117 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
22118 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
22119 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
22121 @item nnoo-map-functions
22122 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
22123 functions from the parent backends.
22126 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
22127 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22128 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
22131 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
22132 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
22133 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
22134 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
22137 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
22138 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
22139 haven't already been defined.
22145 nnmh-request-newgroups)
22149 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
22150 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
22151 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
22156 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
22159 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
22160 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
22164 (require 'nnheader)
22168 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
22170 (nnoo-declare nndir
22173 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
22174 "Where nndir will look for groups."
22175 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
22177 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
22178 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
22181 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
22182 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
22183 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
22185 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
22186 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
22188 ;;; Interface functions.
22190 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
22192 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
22193 (setq nndir-directory
22194 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
22196 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
22197 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
22198 (push `(nndir-current-group
22199 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
22201 (push `(nndir-top-directory
22202 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
22204 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
22206 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
22207 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22208 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22209 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
22210 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
22214 nnmh-status-message
22216 nnmh-request-newgroups))
22222 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
22223 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
22225 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
22226 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
22227 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
22228 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
22230 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
22231 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
22236 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
22239 The abilities can be:
22243 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
22245 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
22247 This backend supports both mail and news.
22249 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
22252 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
22253 articles and groups.
22255 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
22256 true for almost all backends.
22257 @item prompt-address
22258 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
22259 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
22260 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
22264 @node Mail-like Backends
22265 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
22267 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
22268 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
22269 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
22270 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
22273 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
22274 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
22275 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
22278 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
22279 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
22282 This function takes four parameters.
22286 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
22289 @item exit-function
22290 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
22292 @item temp-directory
22293 Where the temporary files should be stored.
22296 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
22297 performed for one group only.
22300 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
22301 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
22302 find the article number assigned to this article.
22304 The function also uses the following variables:
22305 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
22306 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
22307 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
22308 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
22312 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
22313 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
22317 @node Score File Syntax
22318 @subsection Score File Syntax
22320 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
22321 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
22322 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
22324 Here's a typical score file:
22328 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
22335 BNF definition of a score file:
22338 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
22339 element = rule / atom
22340 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
22341 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
22342 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
22343 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
22345 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
22346 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
22347 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
22348 date-header = "date"
22349 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22350 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22351 score = "nil" / <integer>
22352 date = "nil" / <natural number>
22353 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
22354 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
22355 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
22356 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
22357 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22358 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22359 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
22360 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22361 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
22362 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
22363 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
22364 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
22365 exclude-files / read-only / touched
22366 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
22367 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
22368 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
22369 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
22370 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
22371 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
22372 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
22373 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
22374 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
22375 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
22376 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
22377 eval = "eval" space <form>
22378 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
22381 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
22384 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
22385 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
22386 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
22387 one looong line, then that's ok.
22389 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
22390 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22394 @subsection Headers
22396 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
22397 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
22398 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
22399 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
22401 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
22402 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
22403 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
22404 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
22405 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
22406 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
22407 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
22409 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
22410 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
22411 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
22412 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
22413 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
22415 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
22416 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
22422 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
22423 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
22425 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
22426 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
22427 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
22428 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
22430 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
22434 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
22437 is transformed into
22440 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
22443 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
22444 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
22447 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
22450 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
22451 is slightly tricky:
22454 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
22460 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
22463 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
22469 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
22476 and is equal to the previous range.
22478 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
22479 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
22480 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
22484 range = simple-range / normal-range
22485 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
22486 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
22487 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
22488 number *[ " " contents ]
22491 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
22492 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
22493 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
22494 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
22495 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
22500 @subsection Group Info
22502 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
22503 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
22504 describes the group.
22506 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
22507 second is a more complex one:
22510 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
22512 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
22513 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
22515 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
22518 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
22519 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
22520 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
22521 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
22522 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
22523 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
22524 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
22525 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
22526 this section is about.
22528 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
22529 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
22530 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
22532 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
22535 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
22536 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
22537 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22538 group = quote <string> quote
22539 ralevel = rank / level
22540 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22541 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
22542 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22544 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
22545 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
22546 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
22547 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
22550 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
22551 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
22554 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
22555 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
22558 @item gnus-info-group
22559 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
22560 @findex gnus-info-group
22561 @findex gnus-info-set-group
22562 Get/set the group name.
22564 @item gnus-info-rank
22565 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
22566 @findex gnus-info-rank
22567 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
22568 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
22570 @item gnus-info-level
22571 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
22572 @findex gnus-info-level
22573 @findex gnus-info-set-level
22574 Get/set the group level.
22576 @item gnus-info-score
22577 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
22578 @findex gnus-info-score
22579 @findex gnus-info-set-score
22580 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
22582 @item gnus-info-read
22583 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
22584 @findex gnus-info-read
22585 @findex gnus-info-set-read
22586 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
22588 @item gnus-info-marks
22589 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
22590 @findex gnus-info-marks
22591 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
22592 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
22594 @item gnus-info-method
22595 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
22596 @findex gnus-info-method
22597 @findex gnus-info-set-method
22598 Get/set the group select method.
22600 @item gnus-info-params
22601 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
22602 @findex gnus-info-params
22603 @findex gnus-info-set-params
22604 Get/set the group parameters.
22607 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
22608 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
22610 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
22611 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
22612 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
22613 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
22616 @node Extended Interactive
22617 @subsection Extended Interactive
22618 @cindex interactive
22619 @findex gnus-interactive
22621 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
22622 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
22623 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
22626 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
22627 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
22632 The best thing to do would have been to implement
22633 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
22634 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
22635 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
22636 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
22637 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
22638 @code{interactive}.
22640 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
22645 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
22646 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
22650 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
22651 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
22652 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
22655 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
22659 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
22663 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
22669 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
22670 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
22674 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
22675 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
22676 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
22678 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
22679 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
22680 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
22681 Gnus, that's very useful.
22683 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
22684 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
22685 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
22686 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
22687 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
22688 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
22689 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
22690 following function:
22693 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
22697 (,function ,@@args))
22701 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
22702 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
22703 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
22706 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
22707 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
22708 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
22710 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
22711 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
22712 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
22715 @node Various File Formats
22716 @subsection Various File Formats
22719 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
22720 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
22724 @node Active File Format
22725 @subsubsection Active File Format
22727 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
22728 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
22731 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
22734 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
22735 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
22736 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
22737 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
22738 no.general 1000 900 y
22741 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
22744 active = *group-line
22745 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
22746 group = <non-white-space string>
22748 high-number = <non-negative integer>
22749 low-number = <positive integer>
22750 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
22753 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
22754 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
22757 @node Newsgroups File Format
22758 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
22760 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
22761 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
22762 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
22765 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
22766 Here's the definition:
22770 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
22771 group = <non-white-space string>
22773 description = <string>
22778 @node Emacs for Heathens
22779 @section Emacs for Heathens
22781 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
22782 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
22783 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
22784 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
22785 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
22786 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
22787 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
22791 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
22792 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
22797 @subsection Keystrokes
22801 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
22804 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
22807 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
22808 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
22809 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
22810 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
22811 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
22812 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
22814 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
22815 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
22816 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
22817 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
22818 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
22819 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
22820 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
22822 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
22823 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
22824 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
22825 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
22826 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
22827 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
22828 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
22830 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
22831 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
22832 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
22833 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
22834 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
22840 @subsection Emacs Lisp
22842 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
22843 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
22844 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
22845 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
22847 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
22848 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
22849 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
22850 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
22851 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
22852 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
22853 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
22856 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
22857 write the following:
22860 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
22863 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
22864 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
22865 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
22868 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
22869 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
22870 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
22871 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
22872 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
22874 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
22875 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
22876 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
22880 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
22884 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
22887 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
22888 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
22891 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
22894 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
22895 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
22898 @include gnus-faq.texi