4 @settitle T-gnus 6.15 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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281 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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290 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
291 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
294 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
295 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
296 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
297 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
298 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
299 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
300 License'' in the Emacs manual.
302 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
303 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
304 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
306 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
307 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
308 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
309 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
317 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
319 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
320 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
322 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
323 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
324 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
325 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
326 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
327 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
328 License'' in the Emacs manual.
330 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
331 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
332 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
334 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
335 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
336 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
337 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
343 @title T-gnus 6.15 Manual
345 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
348 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
349 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
350 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
352 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
353 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
354 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
355 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
356 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
357 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
358 License'' in the Emacs manual.
360 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
361 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
362 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
364 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
365 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
366 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
367 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
376 @top The gnus Newsreader
380 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
381 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
382 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
385 T-gnus provides MIME features based on SEMI API. So T-gnus supports
386 your right to read strange messages including big images or other
387 various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
388 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
389 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
390 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
392 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.15.
403 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
404 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
406 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
407 being accused of plagiarism:
409 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
410 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
411 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
412 can even read news with it!
414 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
415 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
416 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
417 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
418 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
424 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
425 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
426 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
427 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
428 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
429 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
430 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
431 * Various:: General purpose settings.
432 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
433 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
434 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
435 * Key Index:: Key Index.
438 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
442 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
443 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
444 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
445 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
446 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
447 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
448 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
449 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
450 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
451 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
452 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
456 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
457 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
458 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
462 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
463 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
464 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
465 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
466 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
467 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
468 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
469 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
470 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
471 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
472 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
473 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
474 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
475 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
476 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
477 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
478 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
482 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
483 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
484 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
488 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
489 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
490 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
491 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
492 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
496 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
497 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
498 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
499 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
500 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
504 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
505 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
506 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
507 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
508 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
510 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
511 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
512 * Threading:: How threads are made.
513 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
514 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
515 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
516 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
517 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
518 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
519 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
520 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
521 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
522 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
523 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
524 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
525 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
526 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
527 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
528 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
529 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
530 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
531 or reselecting the current group.
532 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
533 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
534 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
535 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
537 Summary Buffer Format
539 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
540 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
541 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
542 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
546 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
547 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
549 Reply, Followup and Post
551 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
552 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
553 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
554 * Canceling and Superseding::
558 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
559 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
560 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
562 * Generic Marking Commands::
563 * Setting Process Marks::
567 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
568 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
569 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
573 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
574 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
576 Customizing Threading
578 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
579 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
580 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
581 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
585 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
586 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
587 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
588 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
589 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
590 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
594 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
595 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
596 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
600 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
601 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
602 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
603 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
604 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
605 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
606 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
607 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
608 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
609 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
611 Alternative Approaches
613 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
614 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
616 Various Summary Stuff
618 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
619 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
620 * Summary Generation Commands::
621 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
625 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
626 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
627 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
628 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
629 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
633 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
634 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
635 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
636 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
637 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
638 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
639 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
640 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
644 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
645 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
646 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
647 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
648 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
649 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
650 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
651 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
655 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
656 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
657 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
658 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
659 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
660 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
661 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
665 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
666 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
670 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
671 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
672 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
676 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
677 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
678 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
679 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
680 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
681 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
682 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
683 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
684 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
685 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
686 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
687 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
688 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
692 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
693 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
694 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
696 Choosing a Mail Back End
698 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
699 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
700 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
701 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
702 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
703 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
708 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
709 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
710 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
711 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
712 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
713 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
717 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
718 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
719 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
723 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
724 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
725 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
726 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
727 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
731 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
735 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
736 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
737 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
741 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
742 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
746 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
747 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
748 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
749 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
750 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
751 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
752 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
753 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
754 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
755 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
759 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
760 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
761 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
765 * Group Agent Commands::
766 * Summary Agent Commands::
767 * Server Agent Commands::
771 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
772 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
773 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
774 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
775 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
776 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
777 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
778 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
779 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
780 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
781 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
782 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
783 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
784 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
785 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
786 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
787 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
791 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
792 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
793 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
794 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
798 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
799 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
800 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
804 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
805 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
806 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
807 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
808 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
809 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
810 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
811 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
812 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
813 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
814 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
815 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
816 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
817 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
818 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
819 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
820 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
821 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
822 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
826 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
827 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
828 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
829 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
830 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
831 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
832 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
833 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
837 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
838 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
839 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
840 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
841 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
845 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
846 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
847 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
848 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
849 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
853 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
854 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
855 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
856 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
857 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
858 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
859 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
860 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
861 * Frequently Asked Questions::
865 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
866 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
867 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
868 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
869 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
870 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
871 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
872 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
873 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
877 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
878 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
879 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
880 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
881 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
885 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
886 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
887 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
888 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
892 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
893 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
894 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
895 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
896 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
897 * Group Info:: The group info format.
898 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
899 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
900 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
904 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
905 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
906 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
907 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
908 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
909 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
913 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
914 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
918 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
919 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
925 @chapter Starting gnus
930 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
931 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
934 @findex gnus-other-frame
935 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
936 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
937 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
939 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
940 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
941 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
943 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
944 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
947 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
948 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
949 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
950 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
951 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
952 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
953 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
954 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
955 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
956 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
957 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
961 @node Finding the News
962 @section Finding the News
965 @vindex gnus-select-method
967 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
968 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
969 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
970 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
973 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
974 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
977 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
980 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
983 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
986 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
987 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
988 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
990 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
992 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
993 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
994 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
995 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
996 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
997 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
999 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1000 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1001 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1002 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1004 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1005 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1006 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1007 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1008 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
1009 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1010 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1011 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1012 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1015 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1017 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1018 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1019 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1020 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1021 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1022 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1024 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1026 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1027 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1028 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1029 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1030 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1031 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1034 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1035 you would typically set this variable to
1038 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1042 @node The First Time
1043 @section The First Time
1044 @cindex first time usage
1046 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1047 be subscribed by default.
1049 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1050 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1051 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1052 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1055 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1056 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1057 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1059 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1060 help you with most common problems.
1062 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1063 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1067 @node The Server is Down
1068 @section The Server is Down
1069 @cindex server errors
1071 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1072 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1073 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1075 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1076 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1077 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1078 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1079 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1080 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1081 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1083 @findex gnus-no-server
1084 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1086 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1087 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1088 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1089 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1090 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1091 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1092 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1096 @section Slave Gnusae
1099 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1100 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1101 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1102 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1104 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1105 @code{.newsrc} file.
1107 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1108 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1109 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1110 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1111 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1112 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1113 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1115 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1116 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1117 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1118 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1119 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1120 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1121 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1122 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1124 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1125 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1128 @node Fetching a Group
1129 @section Fetching a Group
1130 @cindex fetching a group
1132 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1133 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1134 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1135 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1136 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1137 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1143 @cindex subscription
1145 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1146 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1147 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1148 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1149 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1150 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1151 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1152 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1153 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1156 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1157 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1158 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1162 @node Checking New Groups
1163 @subsection Checking New Groups
1165 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1166 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1167 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1168 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1169 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1170 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1171 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1172 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1173 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1174 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1176 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1177 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1178 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1179 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1180 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1181 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1182 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1183 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1184 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1185 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1186 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1188 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1189 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1190 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1191 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1192 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1193 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1196 @node Subscription Methods
1197 @subsection Subscription Methods
1199 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1200 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1201 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1203 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1204 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1206 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1210 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1211 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1212 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1213 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1214 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1216 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1217 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1218 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1219 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1221 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1222 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1223 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1225 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1226 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1227 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1228 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1229 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1230 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1231 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1232 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1233 up. Or something like that.
1235 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1236 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1237 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1238 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1239 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1241 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1242 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1243 Kill all new groups.
1245 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1246 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1247 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1248 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1249 topic parameter that looks like
1255 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1258 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1264 A closely related variable is
1265 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1266 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1267 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1268 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1271 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1272 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1273 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1274 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1277 @node Filtering New Groups
1278 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1280 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1281 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1282 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1285 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1288 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1289 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1290 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1291 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1292 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1293 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1294 subscribing these groups.
1295 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1296 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1298 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1299 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1300 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1301 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1302 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1303 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1304 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1305 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1307 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1308 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1309 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1310 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1311 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1312 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1313 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1314 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1315 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1316 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1318 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1319 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1322 @node Changing Servers
1323 @section Changing Servers
1324 @cindex changing servers
1326 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1327 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1328 very flaky and you want to use another.
1330 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1331 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1335 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1336 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1337 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1338 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1341 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1342 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1343 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1344 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1346 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1347 @findex gnus-change-server
1348 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1349 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1350 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1351 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1352 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1354 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1355 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1356 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1357 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1358 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1360 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1361 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1362 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1363 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1364 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1365 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1367 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1368 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1369 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1370 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1372 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1373 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1374 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1375 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1376 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1377 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1378 cache for all groups).
1382 @section Startup Files
1383 @cindex startup files
1388 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1389 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1391 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1392 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1393 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1394 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1395 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1396 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1397 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1399 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1400 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1401 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1402 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1403 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1404 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1406 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1407 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1408 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1409 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1410 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1411 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1412 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1413 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1414 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1415 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1417 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1418 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1419 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1420 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1421 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1422 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1423 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1424 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1425 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1426 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1427 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1428 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1430 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1431 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1432 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1433 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1435 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1436 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1437 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1438 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1439 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1440 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1441 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1442 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1443 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1444 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1447 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1448 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1450 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1451 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1454 @vindex gnus-init-file
1455 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1456 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1457 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1458 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1459 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1460 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1461 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1462 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1463 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1469 @cindex dribble file
1472 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1473 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1474 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1475 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1476 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1479 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1480 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1483 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1484 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1485 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1487 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1488 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1489 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1490 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1491 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1492 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1494 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1495 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1496 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1499 @node The Active File
1500 @section The Active File
1502 @cindex ignored groups
1504 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1505 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1506 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1508 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1509 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1510 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1511 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1512 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1513 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1514 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1517 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1518 @c if you set it to anything else.
1520 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1522 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1523 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1524 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1526 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1527 you actually subscribe to.
1529 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1530 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1531 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1532 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1534 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1535 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1536 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1537 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1538 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1539 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1541 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1542 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1543 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1546 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1547 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1548 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1549 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1550 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1551 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1553 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1554 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1556 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1557 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1559 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1560 secondary select methods.
1563 @node Startup Variables
1564 @section Startup Variables
1568 @item gnus-load-hook
1569 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1570 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1571 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1572 times you start gnus.
1574 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1575 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1576 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1578 @item gnus-startup-hook
1579 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1580 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1582 @item gnus-started-hook
1583 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1584 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1587 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1588 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1589 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1590 generating the group buffer.
1592 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1593 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1594 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1595 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1596 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1597 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1598 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1599 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1601 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1602 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1603 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1604 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1605 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1606 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1608 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1609 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1610 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1612 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1613 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1614 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1616 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1617 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1618 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1619 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1625 @chapter Group Buffer
1626 @cindex group buffer
1628 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1630 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1631 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1632 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1633 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1634 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1635 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1636 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1637 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1638 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1639 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1640 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1641 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1642 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1643 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1644 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1645 @c human rights at 9...
1648 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1649 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1650 long as gnus is active.
1654 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1655 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1656 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1657 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1658 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1659 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1660 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1661 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1667 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1668 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1669 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1670 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1671 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1672 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1673 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1674 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1675 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1676 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1677 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1678 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1679 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1680 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1681 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1682 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1683 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1687 @node Group Buffer Format
1688 @section Group Buffer Format
1691 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1692 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1693 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1697 @node Group Line Specification
1698 @subsection Group Line Specification
1699 @cindex group buffer format
1701 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1702 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1704 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1707 25: news.announce.newusers
1708 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1713 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1714 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1715 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1716 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1718 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1719 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1720 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1721 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1722 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1723 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1725 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1727 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1728 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1729 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1730 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1731 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1733 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1734 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1735 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1737 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1742 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1745 Whether the group is subscribed.
1748 Level of subscribedness.
1751 Number of unread articles.
1754 Number of dormant articles.
1757 Number of ticked articles.
1760 Number of read articles.
1763 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1764 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1766 Gnus uses this estimation because the NNTP protocol provides efficient
1767 access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting the true
1768 unread message count is not possible efficiently. For hysterical
1769 raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of unread
1770 messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1771 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the
1772 back end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1773 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1776 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1779 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1788 Newsgroup description.
1791 @samp{m} if moderated.
1794 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1803 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1807 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1810 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1811 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1812 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1813 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1814 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1817 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1819 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1823 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1826 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1830 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1831 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1832 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1833 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1834 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1835 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1840 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1841 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1842 group, or a bogus native group.
1845 @node Group Modeline Specification
1846 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1847 @cindex group modeline
1849 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1850 The mode line can be changed by setting
1851 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1852 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1856 The native news server.
1858 The native select method.
1862 @node Group Highlighting
1863 @subsection Group Highlighting
1864 @cindex highlighting
1865 @cindex group highlighting
1867 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1868 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1869 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1870 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1871 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1873 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1877 (cond (window-system
1878 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1879 (defface my-group-face-1
1880 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1881 (defface my-group-face-2
1882 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1883 (defface my-group-face-3
1884 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1885 (defface my-group-face-4
1886 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1887 (defface my-group-face-5
1888 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1890 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1891 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1892 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1893 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1894 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1895 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1898 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1900 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1907 The number of unread articles in the group.
1911 Whether the group is a mail group.
1913 The level of the group.
1915 The score of the group.
1917 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1919 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1920 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1922 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1923 topic being inserted.
1926 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1927 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1928 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1930 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1931 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1932 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1933 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1934 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1937 @node Group Maneuvering
1938 @section Group Maneuvering
1939 @cindex group movement
1941 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1942 expected, hopefully.
1948 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1949 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1950 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1956 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1957 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1958 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1962 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1963 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1967 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1968 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1972 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1973 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1974 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1978 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1979 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1980 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1983 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1989 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1990 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1991 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1996 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1997 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1998 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2002 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2003 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2004 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2007 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2008 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2009 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2010 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2014 @node Selecting a Group
2015 @section Selecting a Group
2016 @cindex group selection
2021 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2022 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2023 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2024 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2025 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2026 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2027 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2028 determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2029 positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2030 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2032 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2033 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2034 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2036 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2037 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2042 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2043 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2044 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2045 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2046 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2050 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2051 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2052 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2053 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2054 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2055 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2056 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2057 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2058 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2059 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2062 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2063 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2064 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2065 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2066 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2069 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2070 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2071 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2072 doing any processing of its contents
2073 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2074 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2075 manner will have no permanent effects.
2079 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2080 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
2081 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2082 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2083 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2084 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2085 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2086 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2089 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2090 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2091 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2092 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2093 Which article this is is controlled by the
2094 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2100 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2103 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2106 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2108 @item unseen-or-unread
2109 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2110 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2114 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2118 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2119 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2121 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2122 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2123 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2124 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2128 @node Subscription Commands
2129 @section Subscription Commands
2130 @cindex subscription
2138 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2139 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2140 Toggle subscription to the current group
2141 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2147 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2148 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2149 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2150 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2156 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2157 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2158 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2164 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2165 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2168 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2169 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2170 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2171 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2172 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2178 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2179 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2183 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2184 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2187 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2188 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2189 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2190 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2191 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2192 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2193 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2194 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2195 @file{.newsrc} file.
2199 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2209 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2210 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2211 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2212 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2213 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2214 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2219 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2220 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2221 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2225 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2226 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2227 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2229 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2230 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2231 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2232 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2233 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2234 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2241 @section Group Levels
2245 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2246 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2247 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2248 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2249 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2251 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2257 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2258 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2259 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2260 prompted for a level.
2263 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2264 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2265 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2266 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2267 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2268 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2269 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2270 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2271 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2272 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2273 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2274 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2275 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2276 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2277 reasons of efficiency.
2279 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2280 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2282 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2283 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2284 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2285 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2286 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2287 groups are hidden, in a way.
2289 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2290 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2291 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2292 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2293 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2294 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2296 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2297 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2298 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2299 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2300 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2301 list of killed groups.)
2303 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2304 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2305 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2307 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2308 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2309 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2310 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2311 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2312 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2313 relevant valid ranges.
2315 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2316 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2317 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2318 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2319 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2320 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2323 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2324 one with the best level.
2326 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2327 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2328 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2331 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2332 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2333 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2334 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2337 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2338 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2339 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2340 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2342 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2343 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2344 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2345 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2346 to 5. The default is 6.
2350 @section Group Score
2355 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2356 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2357 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2360 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2361 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2362 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2363 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2364 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2365 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2366 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2367 least significant part.))
2369 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2370 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2371 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2372 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2373 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2374 action after each summary exit, you can add
2375 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2376 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2377 slow things down somewhat.
2380 @node Marking Groups
2381 @section Marking Groups
2382 @cindex marking groups
2384 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2385 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2386 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2387 bidding on those groups.
2389 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2390 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2391 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2399 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2400 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2406 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2407 Remove the mark from the current group
2408 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2412 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2413 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2417 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2418 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2422 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2423 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2427 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2428 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2429 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2432 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2434 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2435 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2436 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2437 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2438 the command to be executed.
2441 @node Foreign Groups
2442 @section Foreign Groups
2443 @cindex foreign groups
2445 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2446 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2447 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2448 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2455 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2456 @cindex making groups
2457 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2458 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2459 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2463 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2464 @cindex renaming groups
2465 Rename the current group to something else
2466 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2467 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2473 @findex gnus-group-customize
2474 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2478 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2479 @cindex renaming groups
2480 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2481 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2485 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2486 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2487 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2491 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2492 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2493 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2497 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2499 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2500 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2505 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2506 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2510 @cindex (ding) archive
2511 @cindex archive group
2512 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2513 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2514 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2515 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2516 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2517 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2518 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2522 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2524 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2525 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2526 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2527 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2531 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2533 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2534 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2535 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2539 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2540 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2542 Make a group based on some file or other
2543 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2544 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2545 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2546 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2547 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2548 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2549 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2550 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2551 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2555 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2556 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2557 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2558 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2562 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2567 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2568 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2569 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2570 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2571 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2572 @xref{Web Searches}.
2574 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2575 to a particular group by using a match string like
2576 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2579 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2580 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2581 This function will delete the current group
2582 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2583 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2584 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2585 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2586 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2590 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2591 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2592 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2596 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2597 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2598 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2601 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2604 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2605 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2606 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2607 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2608 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2609 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2613 @node Group Parameters
2614 @section Group Parameters
2615 @cindex group parameters
2617 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2618 Here's an example group parameter list:
2621 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2625 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2626 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2627 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2628 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2630 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2631 is an alist of regexps and values.
2633 The following group parameters can be used:
2638 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2641 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2644 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2645 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2646 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2647 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2648 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2650 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2651 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2652 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2653 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2654 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2655 list address instead.
2657 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2661 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2664 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2667 It is totally ignored
2668 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2669 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2671 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2672 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2673 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2674 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2675 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2677 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2678 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2679 sending the message.
2681 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2682 @cindex Mail List Groups
2683 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2684 entering summary buffer.
2686 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2691 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2692 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2693 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information
2694 will help it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To headers for your
2695 posts to these lists.
2697 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2698 directly uses this group parameter.
2702 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2703 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2704 of whether it has any unread articles.
2706 @item broken-reply-to
2707 @cindex broken-reply-to
2708 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2709 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2710 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2711 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2712 broken behavior. So there!
2716 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2717 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2721 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2722 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2723 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2728 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2729 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2730 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2731 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2732 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2733 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2734 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2738 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2739 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2740 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2742 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2745 @cindex total-expire
2746 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2747 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2748 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2749 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2752 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2756 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2757 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2758 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2759 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2760 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2761 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2764 @cindex score file group parameter
2765 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2766 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2767 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2770 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2771 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2772 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2773 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2776 @cindex admin-address
2777 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2778 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2779 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2780 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2784 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2785 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2789 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2792 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2793 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2796 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2800 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2802 Here are some examples:
2806 Display only read articles.
2809 Display everything except expirable articles.
2811 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2812 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2816 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2817 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2818 @code{read}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2819 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2820 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{seen} and @code{recent}.
2824 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2825 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2826 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2830 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2831 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2832 gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2837 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2838 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2839 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2841 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2843 @item ignored-charsets
2844 @cindex ignored-charset
2845 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2846 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2847 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2849 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2852 @cindex posting-style
2853 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2854 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2855 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2856 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2857 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2859 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2860 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2861 like this in the group parameters:
2866 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2871 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2872 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2876 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2877 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2878 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2879 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2880 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2884 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2885 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2886 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2887 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2889 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2890 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2891 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2892 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2895 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2896 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2900 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2903 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2904 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2905 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2906 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2907 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2908 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2909 @code{eval}ed there.
2911 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2912 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2913 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2914 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2915 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2919 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2920 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2921 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2922 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2923 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2925 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2926 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2930 (setq gnus-parameters
2932 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2933 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2934 (gnus-summary-line-format
2935 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2939 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2943 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2947 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2950 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2951 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2954 @node Listing Groups
2955 @section Listing Groups
2956 @cindex group listing
2958 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2966 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2967 List all groups that have unread articles
2968 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2969 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2970 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2971 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2978 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2979 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2980 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2981 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2982 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2983 unsubscribed groups).
2987 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2988 List all unread groups on a specific level
2989 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2990 with no unread articles.
2994 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2995 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2996 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2997 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3002 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3003 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3007 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3008 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3009 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3013 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3014 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3018 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3019 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3020 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3021 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3022 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3023 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3024 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3025 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3029 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3030 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3031 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3035 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3036 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3037 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3041 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3042 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3046 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3047 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3051 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3052 List groups limited within the current selection
3053 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3057 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3058 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3062 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3063 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3067 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3068 @cindex visible group parameter
3069 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3070 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3071 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3072 get the same effect.
3074 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3075 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3076 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3077 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3078 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3081 @node Sorting Groups
3082 @section Sorting Groups
3083 @cindex sorting groups
3085 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3086 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3087 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3088 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3089 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3090 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3095 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3096 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3097 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3099 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3100 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3101 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3103 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3104 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3105 Sort by group level.
3107 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3108 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3109 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3111 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3112 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3113 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3114 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3116 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3117 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3118 Sort by number of unread articles.
3120 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3121 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3122 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3124 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3125 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3126 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3131 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3132 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3136 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3137 some sorting criteria:
3141 @kindex G S a (Group)
3142 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3143 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3144 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3147 @kindex G S u (Group)
3148 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3149 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3150 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3153 @kindex G S l (Group)
3154 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3155 Sort the group buffer by group level
3156 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3159 @kindex G S v (Group)
3160 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3161 Sort the group buffer by group score
3162 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3165 @kindex G S r (Group)
3166 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3167 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3168 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3171 @kindex G S m (Group)
3172 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3173 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3174 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3178 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3179 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3181 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3182 commands will sort in reverse order.
3184 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3188 @kindex G P a (Group)
3189 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3190 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3191 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3194 @kindex G P u (Group)
3195 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3196 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3197 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3200 @kindex G P l (Group)
3201 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3202 Sort the groups by group level
3203 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3206 @kindex G P v (Group)
3207 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3208 Sort the groups by group score
3209 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3212 @kindex G P r (Group)
3213 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3214 Sort the groups by group rank
3215 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3218 @kindex G P m (Group)
3219 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3220 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3221 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3225 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3229 @node Group Maintenance
3230 @section Group Maintenance
3231 @cindex bogus groups
3236 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3237 Find bogus groups and delete them
3238 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3242 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3243 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3244 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3245 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3246 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3250 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3251 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3252 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3253 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3254 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3255 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3258 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3259 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3260 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3261 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3266 @node Browse Foreign Server
3267 @section Browse Foreign Server
3268 @cindex foreign servers
3269 @cindex browsing servers
3274 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3275 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3276 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3277 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3280 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3281 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3282 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3283 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3285 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3290 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3291 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3295 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3296 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3299 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3300 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3301 Enter the current group and display the first article
3302 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3305 @kindex RET (Browse)
3306 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3307 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3311 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3312 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3313 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3319 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3320 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3324 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3325 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3326 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3331 @section Exiting gnus
3332 @cindex exiting gnus
3334 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3339 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3340 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3341 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3342 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3346 @findex gnus-group-exit
3347 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3348 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3352 @findex gnus-group-quit
3353 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3354 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3357 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3358 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3359 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3360 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3361 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3366 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3367 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3368 trying to customize meta-variables.
3373 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3374 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3375 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3381 @section Group Topics
3384 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3385 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3386 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3387 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3388 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3389 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3393 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3394 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3405 2: alt.religion.emacs
3408 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3410 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3411 13: comp.sources.unix
3414 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3416 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3417 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3418 is a toggling command.)
3420 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3421 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3422 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3423 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3426 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3427 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3428 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3431 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3435 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3436 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3437 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3438 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3439 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3443 @node Topic Commands
3444 @subsection Topic Commands
3445 @cindex topic commands
3447 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3448 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3449 definitions slightly.
3451 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3452 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3453 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3454 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3455 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3456 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3458 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3465 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3466 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3467 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3471 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3473 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3474 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3475 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3476 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3479 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3480 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3481 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3482 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3486 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3487 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3488 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3489 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3495 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3496 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3497 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3501 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3502 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3503 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3506 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3507 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3508 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3509 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3510 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3512 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3513 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3517 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3518 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3525 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3527 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3528 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3529 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3530 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3531 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3532 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3536 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3542 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3543 Move the current group to some other topic
3544 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3545 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3549 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3550 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3554 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3555 Copy the current group to some other topic
3556 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3557 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3561 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3562 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3563 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3567 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3568 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3569 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3573 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3574 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3575 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3576 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3577 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3578 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3579 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3582 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3583 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3587 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3588 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3589 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3593 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3594 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3595 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3599 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3600 Toggle hiding empty topics
3601 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3605 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3606 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3607 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3610 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3611 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3612 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3613 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3616 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3617 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3618 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3619 expiry process (if any)
3620 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3624 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3625 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3628 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3629 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3630 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3634 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3635 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3636 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3639 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3640 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3641 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3644 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3645 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3646 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3650 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3651 @cindex group parameters
3652 @cindex topic parameters
3654 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3655 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3660 @node Topic Variables
3661 @subsection Topic Variables
3662 @cindex topic variables
3664 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3665 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3667 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3668 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3669 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3682 Number of groups in the topic.
3684 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3686 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3689 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3690 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3691 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3694 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3695 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3697 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3698 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3699 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3703 @subsection Topic Sorting
3704 @cindex topic sorting
3706 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3712 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3713 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3714 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3715 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3718 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3719 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3720 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3721 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3724 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3725 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3726 Sort the current topic by group level
3727 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3730 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3731 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3732 Sort the current topic by group score
3733 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3736 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3737 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3738 Sort the current topic by group rank
3739 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3742 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3743 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3744 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3745 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3748 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3749 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3750 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3751 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3755 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3758 @node Topic Topology
3759 @subsection Topic Topology
3760 @cindex topic topology
3763 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3769 2: alt.religion.emacs
3772 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3774 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3775 13: comp.sources.unix
3778 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3779 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3780 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3785 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3786 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3790 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3791 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3792 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3793 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3794 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3795 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3797 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3798 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3799 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3802 @node Topic Parameters
3803 @subsection Topic Parameters
3804 @cindex topic parameters
3806 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3807 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3808 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3810 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3815 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3816 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3817 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3820 @item subscribe-level
3821 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3822 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3823 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3827 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3828 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3829 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3830 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3836 2: alt.religion.emacs
3840 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3842 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3843 13: comp.sources.unix
3847 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3848 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3849 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3850 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3851 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3852 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3854 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3855 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3856 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3857 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3858 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3860 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3861 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3862 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3863 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3864 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3865 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3866 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3867 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3870 @node Misc Group Stuff
3871 @section Misc Group Stuff
3874 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3875 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3876 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3877 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3878 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3885 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3886 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3887 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3891 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3892 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3893 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3894 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3895 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3896 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3897 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3901 @findex gnus-group-mail
3902 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3903 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3904 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3905 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3909 @findex gnus-group-news
3910 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3911 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3912 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3914 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3915 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3916 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3917 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3918 for this to work though.
3922 Variables for the group buffer:
3926 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3927 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3928 is called after the group buffer has been
3931 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3932 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3933 is called after the group buffer is
3934 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3937 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3938 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3939 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3940 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3942 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3943 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3944 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3945 whether they are empty or not.
3947 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3948 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3949 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3950 non-ASCII group names.
3954 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3955 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3958 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3959 @cindex UTF-8 group names
3960 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3961 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
3962 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
3963 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
3967 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3968 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3973 @node Scanning New Messages
3974 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3975 @cindex new messages
3976 @cindex scanning new news
3982 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3983 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3984 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3985 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3986 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3987 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3992 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3993 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3994 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3995 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3996 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3997 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3998 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4000 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4001 @cindex activating groups
4003 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4004 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4009 @findex gnus-group-restart
4010 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4011 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4012 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
4016 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4017 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4019 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4020 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4024 @node Group Information
4025 @subsection Group Information
4026 @cindex group information
4027 @cindex information on groups
4034 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4035 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4038 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4039 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4040 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4041 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4042 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4043 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4044 for fetching the file.
4046 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
4047 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4051 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4053 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4054 @cindex describing groups
4055 @cindex group description
4056 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4057 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4058 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4062 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4063 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4064 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4071 @findex gnus-version
4072 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4076 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4077 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4080 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4083 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4084 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4088 @node Group Timestamp
4089 @subsection Group Timestamp
4091 @cindex group timestamps
4093 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
4094 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4095 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4098 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4101 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4103 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4104 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4107 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4108 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4111 This will result in lines looking like:
4114 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4115 0: custom 19961002T012713
4118 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4119 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4123 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4124 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4127 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4128 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4132 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4133 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4134 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4135 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4137 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4143 @subsection File Commands
4144 @cindex file commands
4150 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4151 @vindex gnus-init-file
4152 @cindex reading init file
4153 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4154 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4158 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4159 @cindex saving .newsrc
4160 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4161 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4162 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4165 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4166 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4167 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4172 @node Sieve Commands
4173 @subsection Sieve Commands
4174 @cindex group sieve commands
4176 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4177 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4178 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4179 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4180 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4182 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4183 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4184 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4185 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4186 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4187 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4188 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4189 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4190 regenerate the Sieve script.
4192 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4193 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4194 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4195 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4196 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4197 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4198 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4199 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4200 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4201 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4204 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4205 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4210 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4216 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4217 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4218 @cindex generating sieve script
4219 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4220 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4224 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4225 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4226 @cindex updating sieve script
4227 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4228 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4229 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4234 @node Summary Buffer
4235 @chapter Summary Buffer
4236 @cindex summary buffer
4238 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4239 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4241 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4242 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4244 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4247 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4248 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4249 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4250 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4251 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4252 * Delayed Articles::
4253 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4254 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4255 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4256 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4257 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4258 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4259 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4260 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4261 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4262 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4263 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4264 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4265 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4266 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4267 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4268 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4269 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4270 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4271 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4272 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4273 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4274 or reselecting the current group.
4275 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4276 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4277 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4278 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4282 @node Summary Buffer Format
4283 @section Summary Buffer Format
4284 @cindex summary buffer format
4288 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4289 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4290 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4296 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4297 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4298 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4299 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4302 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4303 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4304 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4305 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4306 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4307 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
4308 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4309 fast, and too simplistic solution;
4310 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
4311 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
4312 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
4313 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
4314 other function instead:
4317 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4318 'mail-extract-address-components)
4321 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4322 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4323 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4324 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4327 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4328 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4330 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4331 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4332 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4333 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4334 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4336 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4337 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4338 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4339 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4340 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4341 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4343 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%) %s\n}.
4345 The following format specification characters and extended format
4346 specification(s) are understood:
4352 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4353 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4355 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4356 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4357 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4359 Full @code{From} header.
4361 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4363 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
4364 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
4366 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4367 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4368 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4369 may be more thorough.
4371 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4374 Number of lines in the article.
4376 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4377 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4379 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4381 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4384 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4385 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4387 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4388 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4390 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4391 for adopted articles.
4393 One space for each thread level.
4395 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4397 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4400 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4401 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4402 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4405 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4407 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4408 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4409 default level. If the difference between
4410 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4411 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4419 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4421 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4427 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4428 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4430 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4431 article has any children.
4437 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4438 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4440 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4441 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4442 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4443 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4444 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4445 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4448 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4449 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4450 There can only be one such area.
4452 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4453 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4454 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4455 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4456 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4457 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4459 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4460 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4462 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4465 @node To From Newsgroups
4466 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4470 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4471 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4472 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4473 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4474 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4478 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4479 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4480 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4484 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4485 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4488 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4489 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4492 @findex gnus-extra-header
4493 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4494 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4495 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4498 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4502 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4503 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4504 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4505 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4506 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4507 headers are used instead.
4511 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4512 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4513 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4514 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4517 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4518 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4519 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4520 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4522 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4526 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4528 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4529 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4530 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4531 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4535 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4538 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4539 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4546 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4547 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4550 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4551 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4553 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4554 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4555 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4556 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4558 Here are the elements you can play with:
4564 Unprefixed group name.
4566 Current article number.
4568 Current article score.
4572 Number of unread articles in this group.
4574 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4577 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4578 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4579 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4580 and no unselected ones.
4582 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4583 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4585 Subject of the current article.
4587 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4589 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4591 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4593 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4595 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4597 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4601 @node Summary Highlighting
4602 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4606 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4607 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4608 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4609 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4610 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4612 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4613 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4614 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4615 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4617 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4618 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4619 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4620 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4622 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4623 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4624 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4625 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4626 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4627 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4630 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4631 ((> score default) . bold))
4633 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4634 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4638 @node Summary Maneuvering
4639 @section Summary Maneuvering
4640 @cindex summary movement
4642 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4643 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4645 None of these commands select articles.
4650 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4651 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4652 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4653 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4654 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4658 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4659 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4660 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4661 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4662 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4665 @kindex G g (Summary)
4666 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4667 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4668 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4671 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4672 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4673 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4674 to the group buffer.
4676 Variables related to summary movement:
4680 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4681 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4682 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4683 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4684 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4685 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4686 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4687 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4688 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
4689 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4690 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4691 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4692 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4693 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4695 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4696 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4697 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4698 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4699 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4700 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4701 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4703 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4705 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4706 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4707 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4708 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4709 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4711 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4712 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4713 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4714 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4715 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4716 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4717 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4718 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4721 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4722 the given number of lines from the top.
4727 @node Choosing Articles
4728 @section Choosing Articles
4729 @cindex selecting articles
4732 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4733 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4737 @node Choosing Commands
4738 @subsection Choosing Commands
4740 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4741 and they all select and display an article.
4743 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4744 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4748 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4749 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4750 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4751 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4756 @kindex G n (Summary)
4757 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4758 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4759 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4764 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4765 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4766 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4771 @kindex G N (Summary)
4772 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4773 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4778 @kindex G P (Summary)
4779 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4780 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4783 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4784 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4785 Go to the next article with the same subject
4786 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4789 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4790 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4791 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4792 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4796 @kindex G f (Summary)
4798 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4799 Go to the first unread article
4800 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4804 @kindex G b (Summary)
4806 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4807 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4808 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4809 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4814 @kindex G l (Summary)
4815 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4816 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4819 @kindex G o (Summary)
4820 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4822 @cindex article history
4823 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4824 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4825 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4826 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4827 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4828 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4833 @kindex G j (Summary)
4834 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4835 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4836 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4841 @node Choosing Variables
4842 @subsection Choosing Variables
4844 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4847 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4848 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4849 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4850 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4851 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4852 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4854 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4855 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4856 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4857 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4859 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4860 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4861 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4862 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4863 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4864 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4865 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4866 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4867 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4868 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4869 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4870 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4871 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4872 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4877 @node Paging the Article
4878 @section Scrolling the Article
4879 @cindex article scrolling
4884 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4885 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4886 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4887 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4888 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4891 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4892 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4893 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4896 @kindex RET (Summary)
4897 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4898 Scroll the current article one line forward
4899 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4902 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4903 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4904 Scroll the current article one line backward
4905 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4909 @kindex A g (Summary)
4911 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4912 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4913 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4914 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4915 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4916 the way it came from the server.
4918 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4919 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4920 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4923 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4928 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4933 @kindex A < (Summary)
4934 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4935 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4936 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4941 @kindex A > (Summary)
4942 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4943 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4947 @kindex A s (Summary)
4949 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4950 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4951 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4955 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4956 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4961 @node Reply Followup and Post
4962 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4965 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4966 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4967 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4968 * Canceling and Superseding::
4972 @node Summary Mail Commands
4973 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4975 @cindex composing mail
4977 Commands for composing a mail message:
4983 @kindex S r (Summary)
4985 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4986 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4987 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4988 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4989 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4994 @kindex S R (Summary)
4995 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4996 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4997 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4998 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4999 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5002 @kindex S w (Summary)
5003 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5004 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5005 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5006 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5007 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5010 @kindex S W (Summary)
5011 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5012 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5013 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5014 the process/prefix convention.
5017 @kindex S v (Summary)
5018 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5019 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5020 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5021 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5022 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5023 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5027 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5028 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5029 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5030 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5031 Forward the current article to some other person
5032 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5033 headers of the forwarded article.
5038 @kindex S m (Summary)
5039 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5040 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5041 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5042 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5043 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5048 @kindex S i (Summary)
5049 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5050 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5051 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5052 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5054 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5055 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5056 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5057 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5058 for this to work though.
5061 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5062 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5063 @cindex bouncing mail
5064 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5065 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5066 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5067 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5068 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5069 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
5070 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5071 very well fail, though.
5074 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5075 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5076 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5077 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5078 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5079 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5080 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5081 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5082 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5083 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5085 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5086 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5087 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5088 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5089 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
5091 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5092 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5095 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5096 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
5097 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5098 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
5099 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5102 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5103 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5104 @cindex crossposting
5105 @cindex excessive crossposting
5106 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5107 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5109 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5110 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5111 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5112 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5113 command understands the process/prefix convention
5114 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5118 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5119 Manual}, for more information.
5122 @node Summary Post Commands
5123 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5125 @cindex composing news
5127 Commands for posting a news article:
5133 @kindex S p (Summary)
5134 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5135 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5136 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5137 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5138 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5143 @kindex S f (Summary)
5144 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5145 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5146 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5150 @kindex S F (Summary)
5152 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5153 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5154 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5155 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5156 process/prefix convention.
5159 @kindex S n (Summary)
5160 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5161 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5162 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5165 @kindex S N (Summary)
5166 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5167 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5168 message through mail and include the original message
5169 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5170 the process/prefix convention.
5173 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5174 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5175 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5176 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5177 headers of the forwarded article.
5180 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5181 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
5183 @cindex making digests
5184 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5185 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5186 process/prefix convention.
5189 @kindex S u (Summary)
5190 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5191 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5192 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5193 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5196 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5197 Manual}, for more information.
5200 @node Summary Message Commands
5201 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5205 @kindex S y (Summary)
5206 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5207 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5208 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5209 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5210 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5215 @node Canceling and Superseding
5216 @subsection Canceling Articles
5217 @cindex canceling articles
5218 @cindex superseding articles
5220 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5221 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5223 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5225 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5227 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5228 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5229 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5230 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5231 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5232 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5234 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5235 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5238 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5239 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5240 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5242 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5243 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5244 your original article.
5246 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5248 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5249 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5250 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5253 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5254 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5255 have posted almost the same article twice.
5257 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5258 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5259 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5260 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5261 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5262 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5263 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5264 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5265 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5266 canceled/superseded.
5268 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5270 @node Delayed Articles
5271 @section Delayed Articles
5272 @cindex delayed sending
5273 @cindex send delayed
5275 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5276 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5277 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5278 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5281 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5284 @findex gnus-delay-article
5285 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5286 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5287 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5288 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5292 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5293 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5294 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5295 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5298 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5299 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5300 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5303 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5304 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5305 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5306 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5307 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5308 that means a time tomorrow.
5311 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5312 couple of variables:
5315 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5316 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5317 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5318 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5320 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5321 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5322 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5323 formats described above.
5325 @item gnus-delay-group
5326 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5327 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5328 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5329 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5331 @item gnus-delay-header
5332 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5333 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5334 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5335 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5338 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5339 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5340 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5341 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5342 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5344 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5345 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5346 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5347 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5348 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5349 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5352 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5353 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5354 By default, this function installs the @kbd{C-c C-j} key binding in
5355 Message mode and @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5356 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts two optional arguments,
5357 @code{no-keymap} and @code{no-check}. If @code{no-keymap} is non-nil,
5358 the @kbd{C-c C-j} binding is not intalled. If @code{no-check} is
5359 non-nil, @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed.
5361 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to change the
5362 keymap but not to change @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. Presumably, you
5363 want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles. Just don't
5364 forget to set that up :-)
5368 @node Marking Articles
5369 @section Marking Articles
5370 @cindex article marking
5371 @cindex article ticking
5374 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5376 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5377 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5378 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5380 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5383 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5384 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5385 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5389 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5393 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5394 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5395 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5399 @node Unread Articles
5400 @subsection Unread Articles
5402 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5407 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5408 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5410 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5411 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5412 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5413 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5414 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5415 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5416 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5419 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5420 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5422 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5423 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5424 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5425 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5429 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5430 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5432 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5437 @subsection Read Articles
5438 @cindex expirable mark
5440 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5445 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5446 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5447 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5450 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5451 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5454 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5455 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5456 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5459 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5460 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5463 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5464 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5467 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5468 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5471 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5472 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5475 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5476 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5479 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5480 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5483 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5484 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5488 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5489 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5490 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5494 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5495 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5497 One more special mark, though:
5501 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5502 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5504 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5505 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5506 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5507 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5513 @subsection Other Marks
5514 @cindex process mark
5517 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5523 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5524 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5525 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5526 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5527 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5530 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5531 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5532 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5533 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5535 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5536 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5537 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5539 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5540 Articles that are ``recently'' arrived in the group will be marked
5541 with an @samp{N} in the second column (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Most
5542 back end doesn't support the mark, in which case it's not shown.
5545 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5546 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5547 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5550 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5551 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5552 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5553 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5556 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5557 Articles that according to the back end haven't been seen by the user
5558 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5559 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all back ends support this
5560 mark, in which case it simply never appear.
5563 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5564 Articles that haven't been seen by the user before are marked with a
5565 @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5568 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5569 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5570 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5571 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5572 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5575 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5576 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5577 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5578 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5579 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5580 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5584 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5585 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5586 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5588 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5589 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5590 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5594 @subsection Setting Marks
5595 @cindex setting marks
5597 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5602 @kindex M c (Summary)
5603 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5604 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5605 @cindex mark as unread
5606 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5607 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5613 @kindex M t (Summary)
5614 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5615 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5616 @xref{Article Caching}.
5621 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5622 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5623 Mark the current article as dormant
5624 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5628 @kindex M d (Summary)
5630 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5631 Mark the current article as read
5632 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5636 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5637 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5638 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5643 @kindex M k (Summary)
5644 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5645 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5646 and then select the next unread article
5647 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5651 @kindex M K (Summary)
5652 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5653 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5654 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5655 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5658 @kindex M C (Summary)
5659 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5660 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5661 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5664 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5665 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5666 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5667 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5670 @kindex M H (Summary)
5671 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5672 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5673 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5676 @kindex M h (Summary)
5677 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5678 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5679 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5682 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5683 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5684 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5685 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5688 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5689 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5690 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5691 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5695 @kindex M e (Summary)
5697 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5698 Mark the current article as expirable
5699 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5702 @kindex M b (Summary)
5703 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5704 Set a bookmark in the current article
5705 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5708 @kindex M B (Summary)
5709 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5710 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5711 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5714 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5715 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5716 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5717 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5720 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5721 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5722 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5723 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5726 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5727 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5728 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5729 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5730 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5733 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5734 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5735 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5736 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5737 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5738 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5739 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5740 The default is @code{t}.
5743 @node Generic Marking Commands
5744 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5746 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5747 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5748 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5749 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5750 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5753 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5754 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5757 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5758 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5759 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5760 to list in this manual.
5762 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5763 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5764 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5765 article, you could say something like:
5768 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5769 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5770 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5776 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5777 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5781 @node Setting Process Marks
5782 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5783 @cindex setting process marks
5790 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5791 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5792 Mark the current article with the process mark
5793 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5794 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5798 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5799 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5800 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5801 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5804 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5805 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5806 Remove the process mark from all articles
5807 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5810 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5811 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5812 Invert the list of process marked articles
5813 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5816 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5817 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5818 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5819 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5822 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5823 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5824 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5825 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5828 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5829 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5830 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5833 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5834 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5835 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5836 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5839 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5840 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5841 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5842 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5845 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5846 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5847 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5848 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5851 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5852 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5853 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5856 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5857 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5858 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5859 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5862 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5863 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5864 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5867 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5868 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5869 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5870 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5873 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5874 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5875 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5876 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5879 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5880 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5881 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5882 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5885 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5886 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5887 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5888 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5892 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5893 set process marks based on article body contents.
5900 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5901 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5902 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5905 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5906 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5907 additional articles.
5913 @kindex / / (Summary)
5914 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5915 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5916 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
5920 @kindex / a (Summary)
5921 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5922 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5923 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
5927 @kindex / x (Summary)
5928 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5929 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5930 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5931 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
5936 @kindex / u (Summary)
5938 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5939 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5940 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5941 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5942 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5945 @kindex / m (Summary)
5946 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5947 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5948 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5951 @kindex / t (Summary)
5952 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5953 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5954 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5955 articles younger than that number of days.
5958 @kindex / n (Summary)
5959 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5960 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5961 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5962 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5965 @kindex / w (Summary)
5966 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5967 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5968 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5972 @kindex / v (Summary)
5973 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5974 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5975 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5978 @kindex / p (Summary)
5979 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-parameter
5980 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
5981 group parameter predicate
5982 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-parameter}). See @pxref{Group
5983 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
5987 @kindex M S (Summary)
5988 @kindex / E (Summary)
5989 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5990 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5991 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5994 @kindex / D (Summary)
5995 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5996 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5997 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6000 @kindex / * (Summary)
6001 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6002 Include all cached articles in the limit
6003 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6006 @kindex / d (Summary)
6007 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6008 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6009 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6012 @kindex / M (Summary)
6013 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6014 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6017 @kindex / T (Summary)
6018 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6019 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6022 @kindex / c (Summary)
6023 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6024 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6025 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6028 @kindex / C (Summary)
6029 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6030 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6031 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6032 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6035 @kindex / N (Summary)
6036 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6037 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6038 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6041 @kindex / o (Summary)
6042 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6043 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6044 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6052 @cindex article threading
6054 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6055 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6056 hierarchical fashion.
6058 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6059 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6060 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6061 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6062 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6063 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6064 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6066 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6070 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6073 A tree-like article structure.
6076 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6079 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6080 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6081 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6082 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6083 called loose threads.
6085 @item thread gathering
6086 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6088 @item sparse threads
6089 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6090 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6096 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6097 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6101 @node Customizing Threading
6102 @subsection Customizing Threading
6103 @cindex customizing threading
6106 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6107 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6108 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6109 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6114 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6117 @cindex loose threads
6120 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6121 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6122 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6123 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6124 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6125 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6127 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
6128 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
6129 There are four possible values:
6133 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6134 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6135 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6136 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6137 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6142 @cindex adopting articles
6147 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6148 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6149 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6150 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6153 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6154 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6155 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6156 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6157 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6158 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6159 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6162 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6163 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6164 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6168 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6169 display them after one another.
6172 Don't gather loose threads.
6175 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6176 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6177 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6178 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
6179 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6180 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6181 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6182 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6183 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6184 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
6185 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6187 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6188 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
6189 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6192 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6193 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6194 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6195 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6196 simplification is used.
6198 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6199 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6200 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6201 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6203 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6205 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6211 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6212 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6213 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6214 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6219 (mapconcat 'identity
6220 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6222 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6225 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6228 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6229 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6230 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6231 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6232 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6233 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6235 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6238 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6239 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6240 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6242 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6243 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6246 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6247 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6248 Remove excessive whitespace.
6251 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6254 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6255 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6256 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6257 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6258 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6259 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6260 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6261 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6263 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6264 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6265 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6266 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6267 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6268 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6269 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6270 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6271 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6275 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6276 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6277 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6278 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6280 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6281 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6282 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6285 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6289 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6290 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6296 @node Filling In Threads
6297 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6300 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6301 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6302 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6303 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6304 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6305 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6306 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6307 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6308 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6309 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
6310 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
6311 expired by the server, there's not much gnus can do about that.
6313 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6314 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6315 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6317 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6318 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6319 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6320 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6321 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6322 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6323 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
6324 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6325 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
6326 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
6327 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6328 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
6329 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6330 @code{nil} by default.
6332 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6333 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6334 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6335 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6336 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6337 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6338 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6340 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6341 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6342 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6347 @node More Threading
6348 @subsubsection More Threading
6351 @item gnus-show-threads
6352 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6353 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6354 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6355 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6356 slower and more awkward.
6358 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6359 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6360 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6363 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6364 Avaliable predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6365 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6370 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6371 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6372 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6375 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6376 unread, but you get my drift.)
6379 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6380 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6381 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6382 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6383 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6384 threads are expunged.
6386 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6387 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6388 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6391 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6392 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6393 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6394 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6395 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6396 result in a new thread.
6398 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6399 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6400 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6403 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6404 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6405 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6406 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6407 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6408 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6409 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6410 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6411 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6412 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6413 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6418 @node Low-Level Threading
6419 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6423 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6424 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6425 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
6426 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
6427 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
6428 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
6430 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6431 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6432 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6433 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6434 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6435 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6436 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6437 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6438 meaningful. Here's one example:
6441 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6443 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6444 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6446 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6448 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6455 @node Thread Commands
6456 @subsection Thread Commands
6457 @cindex thread commands
6463 @kindex T k (Summary)
6464 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6465 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6466 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6467 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6468 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6473 @kindex T l (Summary)
6474 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6475 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6476 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6477 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6480 @kindex T i (Summary)
6481 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6482 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6483 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6486 @kindex T # (Summary)
6487 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6488 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6489 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6492 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6493 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6494 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6495 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6498 @kindex T T (Summary)
6499 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6500 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6503 @kindex T s (Summary)
6504 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6505 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6506 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6509 @kindex T h (Summary)
6510 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6511 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6514 @kindex T S (Summary)
6515 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6516 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6519 @kindex T H (Summary)
6520 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6521 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6524 @kindex T t (Summary)
6525 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6526 Re-thread the current article's thread
6527 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6528 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6531 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6532 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6533 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6534 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6538 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6539 understand the numeric prefix.
6544 @kindex T n (Summary)
6546 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6548 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6549 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6550 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6553 @kindex T p (Summary)
6555 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6557 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6558 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6559 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6562 @kindex T d (Summary)
6563 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6564 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6567 @kindex T u (Summary)
6568 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6569 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6572 @kindex T o (Summary)
6573 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6574 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6577 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6578 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6579 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6580 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6581 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6582 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6583 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6584 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6585 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6586 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6587 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6588 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6592 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6593 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6595 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6596 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6597 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6598 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6599 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6600 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6601 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6602 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6603 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6604 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6605 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6606 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6608 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6609 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6610 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6611 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6612 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6613 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date} and
6614 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6616 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6617 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6618 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6620 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6621 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6622 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6623 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6624 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6625 ascending article order.
6627 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6628 by number, you could do something like:
6631 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6632 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6633 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6634 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6637 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6638 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6639 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6640 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6641 which the articles arrived.
6643 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6647 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6649 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6650 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6653 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6654 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6655 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6656 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6659 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6660 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6661 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6662 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6663 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6664 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6665 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6666 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6667 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6668 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6669 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6670 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6671 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6673 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6677 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6678 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6679 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6684 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6685 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6686 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6687 @cindex article pre-fetch
6690 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6691 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6692 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6693 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6694 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6696 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6697 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
6699 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6700 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6701 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6702 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6703 connection is blocked.
6705 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6706 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6707 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6708 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
6710 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6711 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6712 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6713 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6716 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6719 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6720 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6721 happen automatically.
6723 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6724 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6725 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6726 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6727 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6728 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6729 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6731 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6732 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6733 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6734 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6735 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6736 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6737 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6738 data structure as the only parameter.
6740 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6743 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6744 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6745 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6746 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6749 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6752 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6753 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
6754 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6756 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6757 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6758 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6759 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6763 Remove articles when they are read.
6766 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6769 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6771 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6772 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6773 @c from the next group.
6776 @node Article Caching
6777 @section Article Caching
6778 @cindex article caching
6781 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6782 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6783 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6784 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6785 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6787 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6789 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6790 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6791 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6792 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6793 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6794 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6795 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6796 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6798 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6799 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6800 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6801 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6802 as dormant, and don't worry.
6804 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6806 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6807 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6808 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6809 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6810 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6811 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6812 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6813 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6814 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6815 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6817 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6818 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6819 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6820 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6821 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6822 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6823 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6824 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6825 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6826 not then be downloaded by this command.
6828 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6829 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6830 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6831 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6832 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6833 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6835 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6836 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6837 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6838 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6839 variables, the group is not cached.
6841 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6842 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6843 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6844 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6845 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6846 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
6847 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6848 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6849 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6852 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
6853 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
6854 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
6855 where, isn't that cool?
6857 @node Persistent Articles
6858 @section Persistent Articles
6859 @cindex persistent articles
6861 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6862 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6863 useful in my opinion.
6865 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6866 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6867 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6868 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6869 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6870 the expiry going on at the news server.
6872 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6873 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6874 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6880 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6881 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6884 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6885 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6886 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6887 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6891 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6893 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6894 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6895 interested in persistent articles:
6898 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6902 @node Article Backlog
6903 @section Article Backlog
6905 @cindex article backlog
6907 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6908 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6909 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
6910 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6911 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6912 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6913 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
6914 increase memory usage some.
6916 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6917 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
6918 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6919 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
6920 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6921 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6922 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6924 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6927 @node Saving Articles
6928 @section Saving Articles
6929 @cindex saving articles
6931 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6932 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6933 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6934 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6935 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6937 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6938 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
6939 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6941 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6942 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6943 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6944 deleted before saving.
6950 @kindex O o (Summary)
6952 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6953 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6954 Save the current article using the default article saver
6955 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6958 @kindex O m (Summary)
6959 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6960 Save the current article in mail format
6961 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6964 @kindex O r (Summary)
6965 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6966 Save the current article in rmail format
6967 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6970 @kindex O f (Summary)
6971 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6972 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6973 Save the current article in plain file format
6974 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6977 @kindex O F (Summary)
6978 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6979 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6980 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6983 @kindex O b (Summary)
6984 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6985 Save the current article body in plain file format
6986 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6989 @kindex O h (Summary)
6990 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6991 Save the current article in mh folder format
6992 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6995 @kindex O v (Summary)
6996 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6997 Save the current article in a VM folder
6998 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7002 @kindex O p (Summary)
7004 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7005 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7006 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7009 @kindex O P (Summary)
7010 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7011 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7012 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7013 external program Muttprint (see
7014 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7015 options to use is controlled by the variable
7016 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7020 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7021 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7022 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7023 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7024 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7025 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7026 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7027 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7028 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7029 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7030 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7031 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7035 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7036 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7037 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7038 functions below, or you can create your own.
7042 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7043 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7044 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7045 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7046 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7047 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7048 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7050 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7051 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7052 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7053 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7054 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7055 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7057 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7058 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7059 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7060 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7061 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7062 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7063 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7065 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7066 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7067 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7068 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7069 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7070 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7072 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7073 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7074 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7075 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7076 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7078 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7079 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7080 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7081 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7082 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7085 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7086 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7087 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7088 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7089 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7091 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7092 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7093 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7094 reader to use this setting.
7097 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7098 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7099 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7100 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7103 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7104 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7105 available functions that generate names:
7109 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7110 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7111 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7113 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7114 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7115 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7117 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7118 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7119 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7121 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7122 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7123 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7125 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7126 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7127 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7130 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7131 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7132 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7133 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7134 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7138 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7139 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7140 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7141 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7144 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7145 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7146 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7147 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7148 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7149 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7150 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7151 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7152 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7154 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7155 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7156 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7157 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7159 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7160 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7161 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7164 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7165 lots of mail groups called things like
7166 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7167 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7168 following will do just that:
7171 (defun my-save-name (group)
7172 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7173 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7175 (setq gnus-split-methods
7176 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7181 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7182 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7183 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7184 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7185 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7186 all the files in the top level directory
7187 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7188 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7189 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7190 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7192 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7193 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7194 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7195 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7196 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7199 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7203 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7204 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7205 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7208 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7209 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7210 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7211 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7214 @node Decoding Articles
7215 @section Decoding Articles
7216 @cindex decoding articles
7218 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7219 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7222 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7223 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7224 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7225 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7226 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7227 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7231 @cindex article series
7232 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7233 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7234 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7235 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7236 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7238 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7239 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7240 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7242 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
7243 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7244 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7246 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7247 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7248 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7251 @node Uuencoded Articles
7252 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7254 @cindex uuencoded articles
7259 @kindex X u (Summary)
7260 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7261 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7262 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7265 @kindex X U (Summary)
7266 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7267 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7268 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7271 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7272 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7273 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7276 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7277 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7278 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7279 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7283 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7284 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7285 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7286 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7287 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7289 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7290 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7291 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7292 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7295 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7296 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7297 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7298 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7299 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7300 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7304 @node Shell Archives
7305 @subsection Shell Archives
7307 @cindex shell archives
7308 @cindex shared articles
7310 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7311 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7312 some commands to deal with these:
7317 @kindex X s (Summary)
7318 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7319 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7322 @kindex X S (Summary)
7323 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7324 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7327 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7328 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7329 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7332 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7333 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7334 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7335 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7339 @node PostScript Files
7340 @subsection PostScript Files
7346 @kindex X p (Summary)
7347 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7348 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7351 @kindex X P (Summary)
7352 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7353 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7354 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7357 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7358 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7359 View the current PostScript series
7360 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7363 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7364 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7365 View and save the current PostScript series
7366 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7371 @subsection Other Files
7375 @kindex X o (Summary)
7376 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7377 Save the current series
7378 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7381 @kindex X b (Summary)
7382 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7383 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7384 doesn't really work yet.
7388 @node Decoding Variables
7389 @subsection Decoding Variables
7391 Adjective, not verb.
7394 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7395 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7396 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7400 @node Rule Variables
7401 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7402 @cindex rule variables
7404 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7405 variables are of the form
7408 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7415 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7416 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7418 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7419 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7422 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7423 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7426 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7427 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7428 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7429 user and default view rules.
7431 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7432 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7433 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7438 @node Other Decode Variables
7439 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7442 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7444 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7445 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7446 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7447 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7448 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7452 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7453 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7456 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7457 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7458 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7461 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7462 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7463 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7464 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7465 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7468 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7469 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7470 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7472 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7473 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7474 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7475 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7476 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7479 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7480 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7481 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7483 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7484 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7485 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7486 looking for files to display.
7488 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7489 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7490 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7493 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7494 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7495 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7498 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7499 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7500 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7503 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7504 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7505 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7508 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7509 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7510 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7511 decoded articles as unread.
7513 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7514 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7515 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7516 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7518 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7519 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7520 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7522 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7523 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7525 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7526 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7527 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7528 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7530 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7531 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7532 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7533 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7534 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7535 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7536 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7537 simply dropped them.
7542 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7543 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7547 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7548 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7549 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7550 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7551 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7552 for you when you post the article.
7554 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7555 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7556 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7557 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7559 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7560 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7561 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7562 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7563 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7564 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7565 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7567 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7568 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7569 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7570 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7571 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7572 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7573 Default is @code{t}.
7579 @subsection Viewing Files
7580 @cindex viewing files
7581 @cindex pseudo-articles
7583 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7584 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7585 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7586 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7587 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7588 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7589 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7591 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7592 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7593 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7594 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7596 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7597 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7598 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7600 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7601 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7602 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7603 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7604 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7606 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7607 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7608 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7609 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7610 a list of parameters to that command.
7612 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7613 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7614 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7616 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7617 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7618 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7621 @node Article Treatment
7622 @section Article Treatment
7624 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7625 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7626 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7627 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7628 these articles easier.
7631 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7632 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7633 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7634 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7635 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7636 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7637 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7638 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7639 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7640 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7644 @node Article Highlighting
7645 @subsection Article Highlighting
7646 @cindex highlighting
7648 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7649 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7654 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7655 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7656 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7657 Do much highlighting of the current article
7658 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7659 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7662 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7663 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7664 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7665 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7666 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7667 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7668 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7669 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7670 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7671 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7672 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7673 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7676 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7677 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7678 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7680 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7683 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7685 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7686 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7687 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7689 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7690 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7691 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7693 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7694 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7695 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7696 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7697 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7698 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7700 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7701 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7702 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7704 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7705 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7706 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7708 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7709 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7710 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7711 that it's a citation.
7713 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7714 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7715 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7717 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7718 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7719 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7721 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7722 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7723 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7724 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7730 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7731 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7732 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7733 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7734 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7735 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7736 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7737 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7742 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7745 @node Article Fontisizing
7746 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7748 @cindex article emphasis
7750 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7751 @kindex W e (Summary)
7752 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7753 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7754 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7755 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7757 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7758 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7759 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7760 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7761 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7762 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7763 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7764 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7768 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7769 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7770 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7779 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7780 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7781 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7782 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7783 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7784 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7785 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7786 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7787 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7788 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7789 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7790 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7791 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7793 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7794 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7795 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7799 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7802 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7804 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7805 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7806 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7807 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7809 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7812 @node Article Hiding
7813 @subsection Article Hiding
7814 @cindex article hiding
7816 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7817 too much cruft in most articles.
7822 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7823 @findex gnus-article-hide
7824 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7825 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7826 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7829 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7830 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
7831 Toggle hiding of headers (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7835 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7836 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7837 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7838 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7841 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7842 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7843 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7847 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7848 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7849 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7850 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7851 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7852 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7853 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7854 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7858 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7859 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7860 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7861 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7866 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7867 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7868 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7869 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7870 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7871 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7872 articles that have signatures in them do:
7874 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7876 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7878 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7879 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7881 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7884 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7889 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7890 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7891 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7892 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7895 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7896 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7899 @cindex stripping advertisements
7900 @cindex advertisements
7901 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7902 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7903 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7904 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7905 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7906 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7907 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7908 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7909 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7910 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7914 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7915 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7916 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7917 customizing the hiding:
7921 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7922 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7923 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7924 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7925 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7926 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7927 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7932 Starting point of the hidden text.
7934 Ending point of the hidden text.
7936 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7938 Number of lines of hidden text.
7941 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7942 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7943 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7944 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7945 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7950 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7951 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7953 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7954 following two variables:
7957 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7958 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7959 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7960 50), hide the cited text.
7962 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7963 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7964 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7969 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7970 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7971 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7972 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7973 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7974 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7978 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7979 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7980 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7982 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7983 citation customization.
7985 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7989 @node Article Washing
7990 @subsection Article Washing
7992 @cindex article washing
7994 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7995 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7997 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7998 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8001 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8002 articles by default.
8007 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8008 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8012 @kindex W l (Summary)
8013 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8014 Remove page breaks from the current article
8015 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8019 @kindex W r (Summary)
8020 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8021 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8022 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8023 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8024 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8025 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8027 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8028 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8029 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8030 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8034 @kindex W t (Summary)
8036 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
8037 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8038 (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}).
8041 @kindex W v (Summary)
8042 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
8043 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8044 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
8047 @kindex W m (Summary)
8048 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
8049 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
8050 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
8053 @kindex W o (Summary)
8054 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8055 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8058 @kindex W d (Summary)
8059 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8060 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8062 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8064 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8065 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8066 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8067 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8070 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8071 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8072 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8073 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8076 @kindex W w (Summary)
8077 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8078 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8080 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8084 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8085 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8086 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8089 @kindex W C (Summary)
8090 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8091 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8092 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8095 @kindex W c (Summary)
8096 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8097 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8098 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8099 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8100 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8103 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8104 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8105 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8106 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8107 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
8108 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8109 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8111 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8114 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8115 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8116 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8117 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8118 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8121 @kindex W h (Summary)
8122 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8123 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that the this is
8124 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8125 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is HTML.
8127 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8129 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8130 The default is to use w3 to convert the HTML, but this is controlled
8131 by the @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined
8132 functions you can use include:
8135 @item gnus-article-wash-html-with-w3
8136 @findex gnus-article-wash-html-with-w3
8137 Use w3 (this is the default).
8139 @item gnus-article-wash-html-with-w3m
8140 @findex gnus-article-wash-html-with-w3m
8141 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8146 @kindex W b (Summary)
8147 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8148 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8149 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8152 @kindex W B (Summary)
8153 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8154 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8155 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8158 @kindex W p (Summary)
8159 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8160 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8161 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8162 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8163 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8164 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8165 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8168 @kindex W s (Summary)
8169 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8170 Verify a signed (PGP, PGP/MIME or S/MIME) message
8171 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8174 @kindex W W H (Summary)
8175 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
8176 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8177 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
8180 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8181 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8182 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8183 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8186 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8187 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8188 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8189 lines with a single empty line.
8190 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8193 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8194 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8195 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8196 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8199 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8200 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8201 Do all the three commands above
8202 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8205 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8206 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8207 Remove all blank lines
8208 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8211 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8212 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8213 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8214 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8217 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8218 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8219 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8220 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8224 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8227 @node Article Header
8228 @subsection Article Header
8230 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8235 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8236 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8237 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8240 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8241 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8242 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8243 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8246 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8247 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-header
8248 Fold all the message headers
8249 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8254 @node Article Buttons
8255 @subsection Article Buttons
8258 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8259 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8260 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8261 button on these references.
8263 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8264 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
8265 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
8270 @item gnus-button-alist
8271 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8272 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8275 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8281 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
8282 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
8283 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
8286 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8287 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8288 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8291 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8292 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8293 avoid false matches.
8296 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8299 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8300 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8304 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8307 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8310 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8311 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8312 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8313 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8314 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8317 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8320 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8322 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8323 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8324 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8325 default values of the variables above.
8327 @item gnus-article-button-face
8328 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8329 Face used on buttons.
8331 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8332 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8333 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8337 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8341 @subsection Article Date
8343 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8344 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8345 when the article was sent.
8350 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8351 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8352 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8353 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8356 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8357 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8359 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8360 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8363 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8364 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8365 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8368 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8369 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8370 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8371 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8374 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8375 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8376 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8377 @findex format-time-string
8378 Display the date using a user-defined format
8379 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8380 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8381 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8382 for a list of possible format specs.
8385 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8386 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8387 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8388 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8389 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8390 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8393 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8396 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8397 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8400 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8401 into wonderful absurdities.
8403 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8406 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8409 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8410 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8414 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8415 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8416 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8417 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8418 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8419 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8420 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8424 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8425 preferred format automatically.
8428 @node Article Display
8429 @subsection Article Display
8434 These commands add various frivolous display gimmics to the article
8435 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8437 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8438 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8440 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8441 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8443 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8444 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8446 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8451 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8452 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8453 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8454 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8457 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8458 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8459 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8462 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8463 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8464 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8467 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8468 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8469 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8470 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8473 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8474 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8475 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8476 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8479 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8480 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8481 Remove all images from the article buffer
8482 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8488 @node Article Signature
8489 @subsection Article Signature
8491 @cindex article signature
8493 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8494 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8495 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8496 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8497 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8498 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8499 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8500 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8501 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8504 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8505 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8506 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8507 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8508 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8509 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8510 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8511 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8514 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8517 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8518 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8519 signature when displaying articles.
8523 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8526 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8529 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8530 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8532 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8533 in question is not a signature.
8536 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8537 listed above. Here's an example:
8540 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8541 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8544 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8545 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8546 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8547 signature after all.
8550 @node Article Miscellania
8551 @subsection Article Miscellania
8555 @kindex A t (Summary)
8556 @findex gnus-article-babel
8557 Translate the article from one language to another
8558 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8564 @section @sc{mime} Commands
8565 @cindex MIME decoding
8567 @cindex viewing attachments
8569 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8570 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8576 @kindex K v (Summary)
8577 View the @sc{mime} part.
8580 @kindex K o (Summary)
8581 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8584 @kindex K c (Summary)
8585 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8588 @kindex K e (Summary)
8589 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8592 @kindex K i (Summary)
8593 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8596 @kindex K | (Summary)
8597 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8600 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8605 @kindex K b (Summary)
8606 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8607 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8611 @kindex K m (Summary)
8612 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8613 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8614 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8615 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8616 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8619 @kindex X m (Summary)
8620 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8621 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8622 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8623 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8626 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8627 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
8628 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8629 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8632 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8633 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8634 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8637 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8638 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8639 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8641 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8642 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8643 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8644 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
8645 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
8646 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8649 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8650 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8651 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8658 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8659 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8660 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8661 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8664 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8667 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8671 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8672 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8673 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8674 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8675 displayed or this variable is overriden by
8676 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8679 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8680 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8681 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8682 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8683 displayed. This variable overrides
8684 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8686 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8687 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8688 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} to the default value.
8690 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8691 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8692 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8693 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8694 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8695 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8696 save all jpegs into some directory).
8698 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8701 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8702 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8704 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8705 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8706 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8707 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8708 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8711 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8712 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8713 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8715 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8716 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8717 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8718 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8720 Ready-made functions include@*
8721 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8722 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8723 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8724 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8725 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8726 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8727 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8728 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8729 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8730 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8731 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8732 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8734 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8735 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8737 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8738 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8739 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8742 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8743 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8744 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8745 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8749 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8758 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8759 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8760 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8761 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8762 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8763 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8764 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8766 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8767 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8768 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8769 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8771 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8772 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
8773 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8774 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8775 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
8776 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8777 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
8778 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
8780 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8781 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8782 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8783 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8784 quoted-printable header encoding.
8786 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8787 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8788 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8792 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8795 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8796 means encode all charsets),
8798 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8799 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8800 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8807 @cindex coding system aliases
8808 @cindex preferred charset
8810 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8812 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8813 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8816 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8817 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8820 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8821 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8823 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8826 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8829 This will almost do the right thing.
8831 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8835 (codepage-setup 1251)
8836 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8840 @node Article Commands
8841 @section Article Commands
8848 @kindex A P (Summary)
8849 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8850 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8851 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8852 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
8853 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
8854 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
8859 @node Summary Sorting
8860 @section Summary Sorting
8861 @cindex summary sorting
8863 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8864 can't really see why you'd want that.
8869 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8870 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8871 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8874 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8875 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8876 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8879 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8880 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8881 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8884 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8885 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8886 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8889 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8890 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8891 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8894 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8895 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8896 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8899 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8900 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8901 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8904 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
8905 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
8906 Sort using the default sorting method
8907 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
8910 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8911 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8912 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8913 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8914 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8918 @node Finding the Parent
8919 @section Finding the Parent
8920 @cindex parent articles
8921 @cindex referring articles
8926 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8927 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8928 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8929 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8930 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8931 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8932 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8933 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8934 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8936 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8937 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8938 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
8939 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8940 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8944 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8945 @kindex A R (Summary)
8946 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8947 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8950 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8951 @kindex A T (Summary)
8952 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8953 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8954 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8955 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8956 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8957 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8958 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8960 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8961 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8962 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8963 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8964 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8965 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8968 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8969 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8971 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8972 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8973 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8974 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8975 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8976 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8977 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8980 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8981 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8982 by giving this command a prefix.
8984 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8985 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
8986 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8987 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8988 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8989 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8992 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8993 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8994 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8997 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8998 then ask Deja if that fails:
9001 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9003 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
9006 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9007 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox}
9008 and @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
9009 @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder} and @code{nnimap}1 are only able to locate
9010 articles that have been posted to the current group. (Anything else
9011 would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at
9015 @node Alternative Approaches
9016 @section Alternative Approaches
9018 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9019 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9022 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9023 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9028 @subsection Pick and Read
9029 @cindex pick and read
9031 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9032 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9033 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9034 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9036 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9037 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9038 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9039 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9040 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9041 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9043 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9048 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9049 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9050 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9051 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9052 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9053 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9054 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9055 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9058 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9059 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9060 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9061 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9065 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9066 Unpick the thread or article
9067 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9068 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9069 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9070 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9071 the thread or article at that line.
9075 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9076 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9077 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9078 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9079 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9080 will still be visible when you are reading.
9084 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9085 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9086 which is mapped to the same function
9087 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9089 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9092 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9095 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9096 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9098 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9099 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9100 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9102 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9103 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9104 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9105 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9106 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9107 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9108 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9112 @subsection Binary Groups
9113 @cindex binary groups
9115 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9116 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9117 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9118 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9119 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9120 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9121 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9124 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9125 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9126 command, when you have turned on this mode
9127 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9129 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9130 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9134 @section Tree Display
9137 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9138 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
9139 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9140 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9143 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9146 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9147 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9148 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9150 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9151 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9152 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9153 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9154 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9156 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9157 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9158 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9159 default is @code{modeline}.
9161 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9162 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9163 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9164 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9165 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9166 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9167 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9173 The name of the poster.
9175 The @code{From} header.
9177 The number of the article.
9179 The opening bracket.
9181 The closing bracket.
9186 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9188 Variables related to the display are:
9191 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9192 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9193 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9194 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9195 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9196 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9198 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9199 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9200 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9201 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9205 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9206 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9207 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
9208 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
9209 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9210 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9211 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9212 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9213 other windows displayed next to it.
9215 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9219 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9220 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9223 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9224 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9225 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9226 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9227 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9228 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9229 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9233 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9236 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9246 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9250 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9251 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9253 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9255 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9260 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9261 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9262 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9265 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9266 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9267 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9268 (gnus-add-configuration
9272 (summary 0.75 point)
9277 @xref{Window Layout}.
9280 @node Mail Group Commands
9281 @section Mail Group Commands
9282 @cindex mail group commands
9284 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9285 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9287 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9288 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9293 @kindex B e (Summary)
9294 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9295 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9296 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9297 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9298 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9301 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9302 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9303 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9304 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9305 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9306 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9309 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9310 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9311 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9312 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9313 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9314 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9317 @kindex B m (Summary)
9319 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9320 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9321 Move the article from one mail group to another
9322 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9323 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9326 @kindex B c (Summary)
9328 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9329 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9330 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9331 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9332 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9335 @kindex B B (Summary)
9336 @cindex crosspost mail
9337 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9338 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9339 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9340 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9341 be properly updated.
9344 @kindex B i (Summary)
9345 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9346 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9347 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9348 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9351 @kindex B r (Summary)
9352 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9353 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9354 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9355 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9356 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9357 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9358 (which is the default).
9362 @kindex B w (Summary)
9364 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9365 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9366 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9367 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9368 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9369 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9372 @kindex B q (Summary)
9373 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9374 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9375 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9376 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9379 @kindex B t (Summary)
9380 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9381 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9382 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9385 @kindex B p (Summary)
9386 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9387 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9388 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9389 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9390 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9391 article from your news server (or rather, from
9392 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9393 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9394 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9395 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9396 just not have arrived yet.
9400 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9401 @cindex moving articles
9402 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
9403 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9404 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9405 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9406 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9407 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9408 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9411 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9412 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9413 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9414 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9418 @node Various Summary Stuff
9419 @section Various Summary Stuff
9422 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9423 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9424 * Summary Generation Commands::
9425 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9429 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9430 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9431 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9433 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9434 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9435 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9436 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9437 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9438 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9441 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9442 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9443 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9444 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9445 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9447 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9448 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9449 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9452 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9453 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9454 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9455 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9456 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9457 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9458 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
9459 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9460 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9461 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9463 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9464 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9465 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9466 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9467 list of articles to be selected.
9469 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9470 the list in one particular group:
9473 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9474 (if (string= group "some.group")
9475 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9479 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9480 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9481 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9482 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9483 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9484 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9485 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9486 buffers. For example:
9489 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9490 '(message-use-followup-to
9491 (gnus-visible-headers .
9492 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9498 @node Summary Group Information
9499 @subsection Summary Group Information
9504 @kindex H f (Summary)
9505 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9506 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9507 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9508 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9509 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9510 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9511 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9512 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9513 be used for fetching the file.
9516 @kindex H d (Summary)
9517 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9518 Give a brief description of the current group
9519 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9520 rereading the description from the server.
9523 @kindex H h (Summary)
9524 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9525 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9526 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9529 @kindex H i (Summary)
9530 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9531 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9535 @node Searching for Articles
9536 @subsection Searching for Articles
9541 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9542 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9543 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9544 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9547 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9548 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9549 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9550 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9554 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9555 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9556 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9557 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9558 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9559 search backward instead.
9561 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9562 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9565 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9566 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9567 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9568 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9571 @node Summary Generation Commands
9572 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9577 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9578 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9579 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9582 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9583 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9584 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9585 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9590 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9591 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9597 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9598 @kindex A D (Summary)
9599 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9600 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9601 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9602 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9603 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9604 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9605 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9606 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9610 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9611 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9612 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9613 several documents into one biiig group
9614 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9615 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9616 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9617 command understands the process/prefix convention
9618 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9621 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9622 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9623 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9624 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9625 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9626 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9630 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9631 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9632 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9635 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9636 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9637 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9638 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9641 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9642 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9643 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9644 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9649 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9650 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9651 @cindex summary exit
9652 @cindex exiting groups
9654 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9655 group and return you to the group buffer.
9661 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9663 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9664 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9665 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9666 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9667 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9668 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9669 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9670 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9671 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9672 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9673 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9677 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9679 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9680 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9681 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9685 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9687 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9688 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9689 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9690 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9693 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9694 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9695 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9696 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9699 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9700 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9701 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9702 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9705 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9706 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9707 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9708 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9709 all articles, both read and unread.
9713 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9714 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9715 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9716 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9717 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9718 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9719 articles, both read and unread.
9722 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9723 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9724 Exit the group and go to the next group
9725 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9728 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9729 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9730 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9731 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9734 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9735 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9736 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9737 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9738 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9739 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9742 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9743 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9744 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9745 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9747 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9748 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9749 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9750 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9751 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9752 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9753 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9754 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9755 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9756 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9757 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9758 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9760 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9762 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9763 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9764 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9765 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9766 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9767 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9768 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9769 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9770 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9773 @node Crosspost Handling
9774 @section Crosspost Handling
9778 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9779 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9780 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9781 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9782 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9783 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9786 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9787 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9788 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9789 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9790 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9792 @cindex cross-posting
9795 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9796 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9797 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9798 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9799 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9800 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9801 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9802 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9803 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9804 the cross reference mechanism.
9806 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9807 @cindex overview.fmt
9808 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9809 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9810 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9811 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9812 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9813 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9816 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9817 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9818 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9823 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9826 @node Duplicate Suppression
9827 @section Duplicate Suppression
9829 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9830 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9831 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9832 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9837 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9838 is evil and not very common.
9841 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9842 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9845 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9846 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9849 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9852 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9853 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9855 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9856 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9857 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9858 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9859 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9860 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9861 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9864 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9865 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9866 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9867 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9868 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9872 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9873 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9874 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9876 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9877 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9878 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9879 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9880 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
9881 session are suppressed.
9883 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9884 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9885 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9886 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9888 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9889 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9890 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9891 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9894 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
9895 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9896 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9897 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9898 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
9899 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9900 to you to figure out, I think.
9905 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
9906 The formats that are supported are PGP, PGP/MIME and S/MIME, however
9907 you need some external programs to get things to work:
9911 To handle PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or gpg.el as
9912 well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG).
9915 To handle S/MIME message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
9916 or newer is recommended.
9920 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
9921 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
9924 @item mm-verify-option
9925 @vindex mm-verify-option
9926 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
9927 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
9928 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9930 @item mm-decrypt-option
9931 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
9932 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
9933 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
9934 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9939 @section Mailing List
9941 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
9942 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
9943 possibly using @kbd{A M} in the summary buffer, or say:
9946 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
9949 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
9954 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
9955 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
9956 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
9959 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
9960 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
9961 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
9964 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
9965 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
9966 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
9970 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
9971 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
9972 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
9975 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
9976 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
9977 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
9980 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
9981 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
9982 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
9986 @node Article Buffer
9987 @chapter Article Buffer
9988 @cindex article buffer
9990 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
9991 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
9992 tell gnus otherwise.
9995 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
9996 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
9997 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
9998 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
9999 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10003 @node Hiding Headers
10004 @section Hiding Headers
10005 @cindex hiding headers
10006 @cindex deleting headers
10008 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10009 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10011 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10012 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10013 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10014 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10015 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10016 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10017 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10018 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10019 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10021 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10025 @item gnus-visible-headers
10026 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10027 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10028 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10029 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10031 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10032 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10035 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10038 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10041 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10042 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10043 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10044 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10045 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10046 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10048 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
10049 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
10052 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10055 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10058 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10059 variable will have no effect.
10063 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10064 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10065 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10066 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10067 the headers are to be displayed.
10069 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10070 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10073 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10076 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10077 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10079 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10080 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10081 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10082 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10083 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10084 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10085 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10088 These conditions are:
10091 Remove all empty headers.
10093 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10094 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10096 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10097 @code{From} header.
10099 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10102 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10103 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10105 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10108 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10110 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10113 To include these three elements, you could say something like;
10116 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10117 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10120 This is also the default value for this variable.
10124 @section Using MIME
10127 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10128 while people stand around yawning.
10130 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10131 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10133 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10134 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10135 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10137 @vindex gnus-show-mime
10138 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
10139 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
10140 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
10141 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
10142 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
10143 calls the SEMI MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
10144 information on SEMI MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is not
10145 existed yet, sorry).
10147 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
10148 @sc{mime} all the time. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime} set, then
10149 you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article buffer.
10150 These can't be avoided.
10152 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
10153 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
10154 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
10155 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
10156 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
10157 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
10158 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
10159 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
10160 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
10163 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10165 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
10166 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
10167 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
10168 buffer when there are nobody else.
10170 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10173 @node Customizing Articles
10174 @section Customizing Articles
10175 @cindex article customization
10177 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10178 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10179 called automatically when you select the articles.
10181 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10182 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10183 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10184 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10186 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10187 for sensible values.
10191 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10194 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10197 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10200 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10203 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10207 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10208 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10209 regexps in the list.
10212 A list where the first element is not a string:
10214 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10215 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10216 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10220 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10224 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
10229 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10230 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10231 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10232 considered to contain just a single part.
10234 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10235 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10236 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10237 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10238 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10239 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10240 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10242 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10243 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10244 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10245 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10248 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10249 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10251 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10253 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10254 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10255 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10256 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10257 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10258 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10259 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10260 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10261 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10263 @xref{Article Washing}.
10265 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10266 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10267 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10268 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10269 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10270 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10271 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10273 @xref{Article Date}.
10275 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10276 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10277 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10281 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10283 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10285 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10286 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10287 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10291 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10295 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10296 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10297 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10298 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10299 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10300 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10301 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10302 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10304 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10306 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10307 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10308 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10310 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10312 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10313 @item gnus-treat-translate
10314 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10316 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10317 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10318 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10320 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset
10323 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10324 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10325 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10326 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10327 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10331 @node Article Keymap
10332 @section Article Keymap
10334 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10335 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10336 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10337 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10340 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10345 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10346 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10347 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10350 @kindex DEL (Article)
10351 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10352 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10355 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10356 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10357 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10358 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10359 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10362 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10363 @findex gnus-article-mail
10364 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10365 given a prefix, include the mail.
10368 @kindex s (Article)
10369 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10370 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10371 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10374 @kindex ? (Article)
10375 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10376 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10377 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10380 @kindex TAB (Article)
10381 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10382 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10383 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10386 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10387 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10388 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10391 @kindex R (Article)
10392 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10393 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10394 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10395 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10399 @kindex F (Article)
10400 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10401 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10402 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10403 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10411 @section Misc Article
10415 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10416 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10417 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10418 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10421 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10422 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10424 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10425 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10427 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10428 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10429 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10430 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10431 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10432 the contents of the article buffer.
10434 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10435 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10436 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10438 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10439 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10440 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10441 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10443 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10444 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10445 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10446 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10447 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10453 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10454 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10455 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10460 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10463 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10466 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10467 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10468 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10471 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10474 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10477 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10482 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10486 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10488 @item gnus-break-pages
10489 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10490 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10491 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10492 paging will not be done.
10494 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10495 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10496 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10501 @node Composing Messages
10502 @chapter Composing Messages
10503 @cindex composing messages
10506 @cindex sending mail
10511 @cindex using s/mime
10512 @cindex using smime
10514 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10515 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10516 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10517 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10518 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10519 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10522 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10523 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
10524 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10525 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10526 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10527 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10528 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10529 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10532 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10533 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10539 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10542 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10543 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10544 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10545 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
10547 @item gnus-add-to-list
10548 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10549 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10550 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10555 @node Posting Server
10556 @section Posting Server
10558 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10559 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10561 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10563 @vindex gnus-post-method
10565 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will post using the same
10566 select method as you're reading from (which might be convenient if
10567 you're reading lots of groups from different private servers).
10568 However. If the server you're reading from doesn't allow posting,
10569 just reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
10570 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
10571 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10574 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10577 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10578 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10579 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10580 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10582 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10583 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10585 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10586 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10589 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10590 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10593 @node Mail and Post
10594 @section Mail and Post
10596 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
10600 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
10601 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
10602 @cindex mailing lists
10604 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
10605 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
10606 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
10607 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
10608 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
10609 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
10610 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
10611 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
10612 still a pain, though.
10616 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
10617 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
10618 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
10621 @findex ispell-message
10623 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
10626 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
10627 you're in, you could say something like the following:
10630 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
10634 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
10635 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
10637 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
10640 Modify to suit your needs.
10643 @node Archived Messages
10644 @section Archived Messages
10645 @cindex archived messages
10646 @cindex sent messages
10648 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
10649 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
10650 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
10651 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
10654 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
10655 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
10656 use to store sent messages. The default is:
10659 (nnfolder "archive"
10660 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
10661 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
10662 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
10663 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
10666 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
10667 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
10668 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
10669 directory chosen, you could say something like:
10672 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
10673 '(nnfolder "archive"
10674 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
10675 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
10676 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
10679 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
10681 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
10682 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
10683 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
10685 This variable can be used to do the following:
10690 Messages will be saved in that group.
10692 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
10693 message will not be stored in the select method given by
10694 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
10695 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
10696 has the default value shown above. Then setting
10697 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
10698 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
10699 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
10703 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
10705 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
10706 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
10709 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
10714 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
10716 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
10719 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
10721 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
10724 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
10726 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10727 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
10728 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
10729 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
10732 More complex stuff:
10734 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10735 '((if (message-news-p)
10740 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
10741 messages in one file per month:
10744 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10745 '((if (message-news-p)
10747 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
10750 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
10751 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
10753 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
10754 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
10755 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
10756 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
10757 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
10758 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
10759 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
10760 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
10761 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
10762 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
10764 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
10765 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
10766 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
10767 this will disable archiving.
10770 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
10771 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
10772 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
10773 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
10774 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
10777 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
10778 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
10779 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
10782 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
10783 but the latter is the preferred method.
10785 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
10786 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
10787 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
10792 @node Posting Styles
10793 @section Posting Styles
10794 @cindex posting styles
10797 All them variables, they make my head swim.
10799 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
10800 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
10801 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
10804 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
10805 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
10806 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
10807 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
10808 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
10813 (signature "Peace and happiness")
10814 (organization "What me?"))
10816 (signature "Death to everybody"))
10817 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
10818 (organization "Emacs is it")))
10821 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
10822 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
10823 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
10824 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
10825 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
10826 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
10827 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
10828 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
10830 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
10831 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
10832 If it is the form @code{(header MATCH REGEXP)}, then Gnus will look in
10833 the original article for a header whose name is MATCH and compare that
10834 REGEXP. MATCH and REGEXP are strings. If it's a function symbol, that
10835 function will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol,
10836 then the variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list
10837 will be @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil}
10838 value, then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
10840 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
10841 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
10842 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
10843 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
10844 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
10845 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
10846 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
10847 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
10848 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
10849 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
10852 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
10853 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
10854 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
10855 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
10856 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
10857 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
10858 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
10859 references chars lines xref extra.
10861 @vindex message-reply-headers
10863 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
10864 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
10865 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
10867 @findex message-mail-p
10868 @findex message-news-p
10870 So here's a new example:
10873 (setq gnus-posting-styles
10875 (signature-file "~/.signature")
10877 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
10878 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
10880 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
10881 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
10882 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
10883 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
10884 (signature my-news-signature))
10885 (window-system ;; A value symbol
10886 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
10887 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
10888 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
10889 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
10890 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
10891 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
10892 (address "user@@bar.foo")
10893 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
10894 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
10896 (From (save-excursion
10897 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
10898 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
10900 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
10903 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
10904 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
10905 if you fill many roles.
10912 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
10913 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
10914 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
10915 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
10916 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
10918 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
10919 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
10920 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
10921 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
10922 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
10926 @vindex nndraft-directory
10927 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
10928 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
10929 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
10930 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
10931 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
10932 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
10934 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
10935 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
10938 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
10939 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
10940 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
10941 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
10942 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
10943 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
10944 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
10945 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
10946 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
10947 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
10948 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
10949 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
10950 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
10951 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
10953 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
10954 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
10955 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
10957 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
10958 @kindex D e (Draft)
10959 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
10960 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
10961 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
10963 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
10966 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
10967 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
10968 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
10969 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
10970 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
10971 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
10972 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
10975 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
10976 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
10977 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
10980 @node Rejected Articles
10981 @section Rejected Articles
10982 @cindex rejected articles
10984 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
10985 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
10986 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
10987 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
10989 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
10990 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
10991 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
10992 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
10993 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
10995 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
10996 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
10997 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
10999 @node Signing and encrypting
11000 @section Signing and encrypting
11002 @cindex using s/mime
11003 @cindex using smime
11005 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11006 format or PGP/MIME or S/MIME. For decoding such messages, see the
11007 @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11008 (@pxref{Security}).
11010 For PGP, Gnus supports two external libraries, @sc{gpg.el} and
11011 @sc{Mailcrypt}, you need to install at least one of them. The S/MIME
11012 support in Gnus requires the external program OpenSSL.
11014 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a MIME part is done
11015 using the @code{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @code{C-c C-m
11016 c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11021 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11022 @findex mml-secure-sign-smime
11024 Digitally sign current MIME part using S/MIME.
11027 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11028 @findex mml-secure-sign-pgp
11030 Digitally sign current MIME part using PGP.
11033 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11034 @findex mml-secure-sign-pgp
11036 Digitally sign current MIME part using PGP/MIME.
11039 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11040 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-smime
11042 Digitally encrypt current MIME part using S/MIME.
11045 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11046 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-pgp
11048 Digitally encrypt current MIME part using PGP.
11051 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11052 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-pgpmime
11054 Digitally encrypt current MIME part using PGP/MIME.
11058 Also @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}.
11060 @node Select Methods
11061 @chapter Select Methods
11062 @cindex foreign groups
11063 @cindex select methods
11065 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11066 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11067 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11068 personal mail group.
11070 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11071 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11072 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11073 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11074 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11075 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11077 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11078 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11080 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11083 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11084 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11085 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11086 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11087 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11089 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11092 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11093 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11094 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11095 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11096 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11097 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11098 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11099 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11103 @node Server Buffer
11104 @section Server Buffer
11106 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11107 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11108 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11109 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11110 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11111 back end represents a virtual server.
11113 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11114 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11115 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11116 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11118 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11119 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11120 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11121 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11122 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11123 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11124 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11126 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11127 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11130 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11131 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11132 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11133 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11134 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11135 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11136 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11139 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11140 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11143 @node Server Buffer Format
11144 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11145 @cindex server buffer format
11147 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11148 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11149 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11150 variable, with some simple extensions:
11155 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11158 The name of this server.
11161 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11164 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11167 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11168 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11169 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11170 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11180 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11183 @node Server Commands
11184 @subsection Server Commands
11185 @cindex server commands
11191 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11192 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11196 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11197 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11200 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11201 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11202 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11206 @findex gnus-server-exit
11207 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11211 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11212 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11216 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11217 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11221 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11222 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11226 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11227 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11231 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11232 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11233 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11238 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11239 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11240 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11241 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11246 @node Example Methods
11247 @subsection Example Methods
11249 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11252 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11255 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11261 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11262 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11265 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11266 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11268 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11269 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11273 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11276 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11277 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11279 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11280 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11281 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11285 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11288 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11291 Here's the method for a public spool:
11295 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11296 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11302 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11303 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11304 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11305 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11306 should probably look something like this:
11310 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11311 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11312 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11313 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11316 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11317 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11318 configuration to the example above:
11321 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11324 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11325 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11326 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11330 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11331 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11332 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11333 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11336 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11337 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11338 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11339 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11342 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11343 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11345 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11346 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11348 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11349 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11350 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11352 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11354 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11355 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11356 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11357 will contain the following:
11367 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11368 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11369 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11372 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11373 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11374 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11377 @node Server Variables
11378 @subsection Server Variables
11380 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11381 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11382 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11383 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11384 won't change the "derived" variables.
11386 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11387 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11388 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11389 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11390 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11391 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11392 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11393 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11394 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11398 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11399 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11400 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11404 @node Servers and Methods
11405 @subsection Servers and Methods
11407 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11408 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11409 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11410 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11414 @node Unavailable Servers
11415 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11417 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11418 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11419 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11420 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11421 actually the case or not.
11423 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11424 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11425 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11426 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11427 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11428 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11429 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11430 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11432 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11433 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11435 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11436 with the following commands:
11442 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11443 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11444 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11448 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11449 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11450 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11454 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11455 Mark the current server as unreachable
11456 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11459 @kindex M-o (Server)
11460 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11461 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11462 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11465 @kindex M-c (Server)
11466 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11467 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11468 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11472 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11473 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11474 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11480 @section Getting News
11481 @cindex reading news
11482 @cindex news back ends
11484 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11485 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11486 or it can read from a local spool.
11489 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11490 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11495 @subsection @sc{nntp}
11498 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11499 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11500 server as the, uhm, address.
11502 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11503 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11504 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11505 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11507 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11508 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11509 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11511 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11516 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11517 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11518 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11520 @cindex authentification
11521 @cindex nntp authentification
11522 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11523 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11524 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11525 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11526 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11527 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11528 present in this hook.
11530 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11531 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11532 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11533 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11534 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11535 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
11536 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
11537 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
11538 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
11539 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
11540 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
11541 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
11545 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
11548 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
11550 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
11551 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
11552 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
11553 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
11554 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
11555 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
11556 @samp{force} is explained below.
11560 Here's an example file:
11563 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
11564 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
11567 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
11568 have to be first, for instance.
11570 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
11571 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
11572 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
11573 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
11574 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
11575 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
11576 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
11578 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
11579 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
11585 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
11586 previously mentioned.
11588 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
11590 @item nntp-server-action-alist
11591 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
11592 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
11593 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
11594 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
11597 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
11598 '(("innd" (ding))))
11601 You probably don't want to do that, though.
11603 The default value is
11606 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
11607 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
11608 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
11611 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
11612 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
11614 @item nntp-maximum-request
11615 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
11616 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
11617 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
11618 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
11619 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
11620 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
11621 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
11623 @item nntp-connection-timeout
11624 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
11625 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
11626 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
11627 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
11628 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
11629 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
11630 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
11631 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
11632 no timeouts are done.
11634 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
11635 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
11636 @c @cindex PPP connections
11637 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
11638 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
11639 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
11640 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
11641 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
11642 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
11643 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
11644 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
11645 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
11646 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
11648 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
11649 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
11650 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
11651 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
11652 @c described above.
11654 @item nntp-server-hook
11655 @vindex nntp-server-hook
11656 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
11659 @item nntp-buggy-select
11660 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
11661 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
11663 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
11664 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
11665 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
11666 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
11669 @item nntp-xover-commands
11670 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
11673 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
11674 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
11678 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
11679 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
11680 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
11681 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
11682 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
11683 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
11684 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
11685 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
11686 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
11687 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
11688 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
11690 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
11691 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
11692 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
11694 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11695 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11696 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
11697 server closes connection.
11699 @item nntp-record-commands
11700 @vindex nntp-record-commands
11701 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
11702 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
11703 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
11704 that doesn't seem to work.
11706 @item nntp-open-connection-function
11707 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
11708 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
11709 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
11710 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
11711 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
11712 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
11713 indirect ones (two pre-made).
11715 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
11716 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
11717 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
11718 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
11719 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
11720 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
11721 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
11724 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
11727 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
11728 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
11730 @item nntp-list-options
11731 @vindex nntp-list-options
11732 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
11733 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
11734 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
11735 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
11736 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
11740 (setq gnus-select-method
11741 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
11742 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
11745 @item nntp-options-subscribe
11746 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
11747 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
11748 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
11749 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
11750 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
11751 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
11754 (setq gnus-select-method
11755 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
11756 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
11759 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
11760 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
11761 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
11762 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
11763 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
11764 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
11765 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
11768 (setq gnus-select-method
11769 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
11770 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
11775 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
11776 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
11777 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
11781 @node Direct Functions
11782 @subsubsection Direct Functions
11783 @cindex direct connection functions
11785 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
11786 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
11787 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
11788 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11791 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
11792 @item nntp-open-network-stream
11793 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
11796 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
11797 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
11798 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
11799 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
11800 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
11801 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
11802 define a server as follows:
11805 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
11807 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
11809 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
11810 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
11811 (nntp-port-number "snews")
11812 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
11815 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
11816 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
11817 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
11818 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
11819 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
11820 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
11821 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
11822 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
11826 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11827 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
11828 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
11831 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
11832 session, which is not a good idea.
11836 @node Indirect Functions
11837 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
11838 @cindex indirect connection functions
11840 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
11841 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
11842 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
11843 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
11844 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
11845 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11848 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11849 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11850 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
11851 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
11852 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
11854 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11857 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
11858 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
11859 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
11860 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
11863 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11864 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11865 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
11866 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
11868 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11871 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
11872 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
11873 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
11876 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
11877 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
11878 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
11879 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
11881 @item nntp-via-user-password
11882 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
11883 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
11885 @item nntp-via-envuser
11886 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
11887 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
11888 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
11889 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
11891 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
11892 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
11893 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
11894 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
11901 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
11906 @item nntp-via-user-name
11907 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
11908 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
11910 @item nntp-via-address
11911 @vindex nntp-via-address
11912 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
11917 @node Common Variables
11918 @subsubsection Common Variables
11920 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
11921 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
11926 @item nntp-pre-command
11927 @vindex nntp-pre-command
11928 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
11929 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
11930 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
11931 wrapper for instance.
11934 @vindex nntp-address
11935 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
11937 @item nntp-port-number
11938 @vindex nntp-port-number
11939 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
11941 @item nntp-end-of-line
11942 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
11943 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
11944 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
11945 using a non native connection function.
11947 @item nntp-telnet-command
11948 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
11949 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
11950 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
11951 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
11953 @item nntp-telnet-switches
11954 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
11955 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
11962 @subsection News Spool
11966 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
11967 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
11968 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
11971 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
11972 anything else) as the address.
11974 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
11975 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
11976 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
11977 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
11981 @item nnspool-inews-program
11982 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
11983 Program used to post an article.
11985 @item nnspool-inews-switches
11986 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
11987 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
11989 @item nnspool-spool-directory
11990 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
11991 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
11992 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
11994 @item nnspool-nov-directory
11995 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
11996 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
11997 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
11999 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12000 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12001 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12003 @item nnspool-active-file
12004 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12005 The path to the active file.
12007 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12008 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12009 The path to the group descriptions file.
12011 @item nnspool-history-file
12012 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12013 The path to the news history file.
12015 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12016 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12017 The path to the active date file.
12019 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12020 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12021 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12024 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12025 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12027 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12028 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12029 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12035 @section Getting Mail
12036 @cindex reading mail
12039 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12043 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12044 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12045 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12046 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12047 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12048 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12049 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12050 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12051 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12052 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12053 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12054 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12055 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12059 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12060 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12062 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12063 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12064 of a culture shock.
12066 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12067 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12069 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12070 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12071 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12072 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12074 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12076 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12077 deleted? How awful!
12079 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12080 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12081 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12082 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12085 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12086 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12087 they want to treat a message.
12089 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12090 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12091 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12092 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12093 archived somewhere else.
12095 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12096 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12097 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12098 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12099 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12101 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12102 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12103 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12105 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12106 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12109 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12110 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12111 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12112 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12113 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12115 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12116 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12117 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12118 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12119 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12120 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12124 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12125 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12127 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12128 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12129 and things will happen automatically.
12131 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12132 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
12135 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12138 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12139 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12140 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12141 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12142 like any other group.
12144 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12147 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12148 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12149 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12153 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12154 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12155 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12158 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12159 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12160 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12163 @node Splitting Mail
12164 @subsection Splitting Mail
12165 @cindex splitting mail
12166 @cindex mail splitting
12168 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12169 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12170 to be split into groups.
12173 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12174 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12175 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12176 ("mail.other" "")))
12179 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12180 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12181 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12182 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12183 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12184 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12185 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12188 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12191 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12192 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12193 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12194 mail belongs in that group.
12196 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12197 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12198 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12199 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12200 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12201 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12203 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12204 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12205 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12206 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12207 thinks should carry this mail message.
12209 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12210 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12211 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12212 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12214 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12215 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12216 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12217 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12218 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12220 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12223 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12224 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12225 links. If that's the case for you, set
12226 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12227 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12229 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12230 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12231 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12232 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12233 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12234 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12237 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12238 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12239 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12240 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12241 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12242 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12243 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12244 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12245 month's rent money.
12249 @subsection Mail Sources
12251 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12252 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12256 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12257 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12258 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12262 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12263 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12265 @cindex mail server
12268 @cindex mail source
12270 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12271 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12276 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12279 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12280 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12281 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12284 The following mail source types are available:
12288 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12294 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12295 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
12298 An example file mail source:
12301 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12304 Or using the default path:
12310 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12311 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12312 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12315 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12319 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12322 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12326 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12329 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12331 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12334 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12338 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
12339 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
12340 That is, mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in the
12341 group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12342 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12343 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus
12344 to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you
12345 want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12351 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12355 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12359 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12360 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12361 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12362 predicate are considered.
12366 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12370 An example directory mail source:
12373 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12378 Get mail from a POP server.
12384 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12385 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12388 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12389 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12390 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12391 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12392 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12395 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12399 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12403 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12404 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12407 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12410 The valid format specifier characters are:
12414 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12415 included in this string.
12418 The name of the server.
12421 The port number of the server.
12424 The user name to use.
12427 The password to use.
12430 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12431 corresponding keywords.
12434 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12435 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12438 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12439 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12442 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12443 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12446 @item :authentication
12447 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12448 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12453 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12454 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12456 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12457 default user name, and default fetcher:
12463 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12466 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12467 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12470 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12473 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12477 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12478 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12479 contains exactly one mail.
12485 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12486 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12489 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12490 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12492 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12493 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12494 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12497 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12498 from locking problems).
12502 Two example maildir mail sources:
12505 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12506 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12510 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12515 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12516 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12517 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12518 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12521 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12522 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12528 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12529 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12532 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
12533 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
12536 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
12540 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
12544 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
12545 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
12546 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
12547 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
12549 @item :authentication
12550 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
12551 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
12552 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
12553 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
12556 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
12557 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
12558 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
12564 The valid format specifier characters are:
12568 The name of the server.
12571 User name from `imap-default-user'.
12574 The port number of the server.
12577 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12578 corresponding keywords.
12581 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
12582 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
12585 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
12586 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
12587 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
12588 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
12589 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
12590 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
12593 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
12594 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
12595 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
12596 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
12599 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
12600 after finishing the fetch.
12604 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
12607 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
12609 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
12613 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
12614 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
12616 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
12619 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
12620 required for url "4.0pre.46".
12622 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
12628 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
12629 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
12632 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
12636 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
12640 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
12641 folder after finishing the fetch.
12645 An example webmail source:
12648 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
12650 :password "secret")
12655 @item Common Keywords
12656 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
12662 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
12663 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
12667 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
12672 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
12673 useful when you use local mail and news.
12678 @subsubsection Function Interface
12680 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
12681 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
12682 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
12683 consider the following mail-source setting:
12686 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
12687 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
12690 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
12691 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
12692 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
12693 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
12694 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
12696 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
12699 @node Mail Source Customization
12700 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
12702 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
12703 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
12707 @item mail-source-crash-box
12708 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
12709 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
12710 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
12712 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
12713 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
12714 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
12716 @item mail-source-directory
12717 @vindex mail-source-directory
12718 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
12719 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
12720 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
12723 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
12724 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
12725 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
12726 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
12727 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
12728 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
12730 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
12731 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
12732 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
12734 @item mail-source-movemail-program
12735 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
12736 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
12737 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
12742 @node Fetching Mail
12743 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
12745 @vindex mail-sources
12746 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
12747 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
12748 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
12749 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
12751 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
12752 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
12755 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
12756 mail server, you'd say something like:
12761 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12762 :password "secret")))
12765 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
12769 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
12770 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12773 :password "secret")))
12777 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
12778 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
12779 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
12780 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
12781 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
12782 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
12786 @node Mail Back End Variables
12787 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
12789 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
12793 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12794 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12795 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
12796 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
12798 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
12799 @item nnmail-split-hook
12800 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
12801 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
12802 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
12803 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
12804 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
12805 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
12806 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
12807 in the buffer will show up in any files.
12808 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
12811 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12812 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12813 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12814 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12815 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
12816 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
12817 starting to handle the new mail) and
12818 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
12819 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
12820 default file modes the new mail files get:
12823 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12824 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
12826 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12827 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
12830 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
12831 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
12832 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
12833 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
12834 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
12835 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
12836 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
12838 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
12839 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
12840 @findex delete-file
12841 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
12843 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12844 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12845 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
12846 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
12847 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
12852 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
12853 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
12854 @cindex mail splitting
12855 @cindex fancy mail splitting
12857 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
12858 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
12859 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
12860 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
12861 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
12862 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
12864 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
12867 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
12868 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
12869 ;; from real errors.
12870 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
12872 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
12873 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
12874 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
12875 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
12876 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
12877 ;; Other mailing lists...
12878 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
12879 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
12880 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
12881 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
12882 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
12883 ;; message was really cross-posted.
12884 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
12885 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
12887 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
12888 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
12892 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
12893 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
12894 the five possible split syntaxes:
12899 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
12900 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
12904 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
12905 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
12906 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
12907 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
12908 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
12909 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
12910 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
12911 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
12914 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12915 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
12916 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
12917 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
12920 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12921 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
12924 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
12925 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
12928 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
12929 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
12930 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
12931 function should return a @var{split}.
12934 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
12935 body of the messages:
12938 (defun split-on-body ()
12940 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
12941 (goto-char (point-min))
12942 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
12946 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
12947 when the @code{:} function is run.
12950 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12951 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
12952 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
12956 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
12960 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
12961 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
12962 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
12963 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
12964 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
12966 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
12967 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
12968 are expanded as specified by the variable
12969 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
12970 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
12973 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
12974 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
12975 when all this splitting is performed.
12977 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
12978 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
12979 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
12982 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
12985 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
12986 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
12988 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
12989 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
12990 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
12991 groupings 1 through 9.
12993 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
12994 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
12995 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
12996 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
12997 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
12998 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
12999 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13000 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13001 it once per thread.
13003 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13004 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13005 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13008 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13009 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13010 ;; other splits go here
13014 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13015 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13016 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13017 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13018 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13019 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13020 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13021 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13022 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13023 unless the group name matches the regexp
13024 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13025 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13026 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13027 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13028 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13029 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13030 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13031 messages goes into the new group.
13034 @node Group Mail Splitting
13035 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13036 @cindex mail splitting
13037 @cindex group mail splitting
13039 @findex gnus-group-split
13040 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13041 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13042 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13043 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13044 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13045 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13046 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13047 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13049 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13050 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13051 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13052 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13054 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13055 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13056 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13057 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13058 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13059 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13060 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13062 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13063 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13064 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13065 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13066 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13067 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13068 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13070 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13071 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13072 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13073 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13074 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13075 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13076 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13077 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13078 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13079 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13080 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13081 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13082 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13084 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13089 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13090 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13092 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13093 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13094 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13095 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13097 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13100 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13101 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13102 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13105 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13106 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13107 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13111 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13112 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13113 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13117 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13120 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13121 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13122 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13123 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13124 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13125 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13126 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13127 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13128 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13130 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13131 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13132 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13133 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13134 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13135 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13136 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13137 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13138 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13140 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13141 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13142 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13143 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13144 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13145 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
13148 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13151 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13152 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13153 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13154 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13155 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13158 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13159 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13160 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13161 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13163 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13164 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13165 @cindex incorporating old mail
13166 @cindex import old mail
13168 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13169 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13170 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13173 Doing so can be quite easy.
13175 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13176 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13177 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13178 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13179 your @code{nnml} groups.
13185 Go to the group buffer.
13188 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13189 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13192 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13195 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13196 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13199 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13200 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13203 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13204 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13205 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13206 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13207 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13209 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13210 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13211 using the new mail back end.
13214 @node Expiring Mail
13215 @subsection Expiring Mail
13216 @cindex article expiry
13218 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13219 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13220 different approach to mail reading.
13222 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13223 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13224 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13225 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13226 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13227 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13230 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13231 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
13232 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13233 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13234 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13235 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13236 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13237 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13239 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13240 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
13241 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
13242 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
13243 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
13244 column in the summary buffer.
13246 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13247 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13248 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13249 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13252 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13254 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13255 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13256 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13259 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13260 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13261 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13262 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13263 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13265 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13266 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13269 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13270 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13273 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13274 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13276 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13277 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13278 don't really mix very well.
13280 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13281 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13282 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13283 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13286 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13287 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13288 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13289 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13292 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13294 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13296 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13298 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13300 ((string= group "important")
13306 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13307 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13309 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13310 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13311 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13314 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13315 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13317 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13318 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13319 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13320 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13321 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13322 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13323 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13324 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13325 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13326 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13327 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13328 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13329 name or @code{delete}.
13331 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13333 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13336 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13337 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13338 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13339 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13340 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13343 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13344 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13345 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13346 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13347 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13350 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13351 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13352 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13353 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13354 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13355 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13357 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13358 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13359 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13360 easier for procmail users.
13362 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13363 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13364 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13365 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13366 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13367 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13368 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13369 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13370 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13371 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13372 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13373 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13374 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13377 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13379 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13380 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13381 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13382 auto-expire turned on.
13386 @subsection Washing Mail
13387 @cindex mail washing
13388 @cindex list server brain damage
13389 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13391 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13392 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13393 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13394 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13395 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13396 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13398 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13399 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13400 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13403 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13404 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13405 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13406 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13409 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13410 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13411 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13412 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13413 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13416 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13417 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13418 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13419 Emacs running on MS machines.
13423 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13424 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13425 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13426 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13429 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13430 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13431 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13432 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13434 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13435 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13436 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13437 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13438 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13439 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13440 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13443 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13444 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13447 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13448 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13451 This can also be done non-destructively with
13452 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13454 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13455 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13456 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13458 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13459 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13461 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13462 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13463 @code{References} headers.
13467 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13468 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13469 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13473 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13474 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13475 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13482 @subsection Duplicates
13484 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
13485 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
13486 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
13487 @cindex duplicate mails
13488 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
13489 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
13490 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
13491 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
13492 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
13493 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
13494 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
13495 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
13496 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
13497 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
13498 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
13499 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
13500 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
13502 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
13503 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
13504 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
13505 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
13507 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
13510 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
13511 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
13515 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13516 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
13517 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
13518 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
13519 (any mail "mail.misc")
13526 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13527 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
13532 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
13533 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
13534 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
13535 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
13536 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
13539 @node Not Reading Mail
13540 @subsection Not Reading Mail
13542 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
13543 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
13544 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
13546 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
13547 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
13548 mail, which should help.
13550 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13551 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13552 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13553 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13554 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13555 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
13556 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
13557 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
13558 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
13559 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
13560 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
13562 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
13563 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
13567 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
13568 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
13570 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
13571 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
13572 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
13574 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
13575 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
13576 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
13577 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
13578 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
13579 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
13580 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
13583 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
13584 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
13585 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
13586 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
13587 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
13588 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
13592 @node Unix Mail Box
13593 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
13595 @cindex unix mail box
13597 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13598 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13599 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
13600 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
13601 which group it belongs in.
13603 Virtual server settings:
13606 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
13607 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13608 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
13611 @item nnmbox-active-file
13612 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13613 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
13614 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
13616 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
13617 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13618 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
13619 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
13624 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
13628 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13629 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13630 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
13631 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
13632 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
13634 Virtual server settings:
13637 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
13638 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13639 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
13641 @item nnbabyl-active-file
13642 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13643 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
13644 @file{~/.rmail-active}
13646 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13647 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13648 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
13654 @subsubsection Mail Spool
13656 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
13658 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
13659 format. It should be used with some caution.
13661 @vindex nnml-directory
13662 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
13663 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
13664 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
13665 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
13667 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
13670 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
13671 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
13672 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
13673 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
13674 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
13675 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
13676 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
13677 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
13679 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
13680 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
13681 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
13682 back end when it comes to reading mail.
13684 @cindex self contained nnml servers
13685 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
13686 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
13687 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
13688 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
13689 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
13690 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
13691 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
13692 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
13695 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
13696 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
13697 them next time it starts.
13699 Virtual server settings:
13702 @item nnml-directory
13703 @vindex nnml-directory
13704 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
13705 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
13708 @item nnml-active-file
13709 @vindex nnml-active-file
13710 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
13711 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
13713 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
13714 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
13715 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
13716 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
13718 @item nnml-get-new-mail
13719 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13720 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
13723 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
13724 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
13725 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
13726 default is @code{nil}.
13728 @item nnml-nov-file-name
13729 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
13730 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
13732 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
13733 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
13734 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
13736 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
13737 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
13738 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
13739 default is @code{nil}.
13741 @item nnml-marks-file-name
13742 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
13743 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
13745 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
13746 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
13747 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
13752 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
13753 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
13754 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
13755 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
13756 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
13757 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
13758 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
13763 @subsubsection MH Spool
13765 @cindex mh-e mail spool
13767 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
13768 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
13769 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
13770 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
13772 Virtual server settings:
13775 @item nnmh-directory
13776 @vindex nnmh-directory
13777 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
13778 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
13781 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
13782 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13783 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
13787 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
13788 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
13789 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
13790 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
13791 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
13792 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
13793 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
13798 @subsubsection Mail Folders
13800 @cindex mbox folders
13801 @cindex mail folders
13803 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
13804 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
13805 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
13808 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
13809 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
13810 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
13811 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
13812 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
13813 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
13814 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
13815 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
13816 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
13817 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
13818 @code{nnfolder} directory).
13820 Virtual server settings:
13823 @item nnfolder-directory
13824 @vindex nnfolder-directory
13825 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
13826 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
13829 @item nnfolder-active-file
13830 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
13831 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
13833 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13834 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13835 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
13836 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
13838 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
13839 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13840 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
13843 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13844 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13845 @cindex backup files
13846 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
13847 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
13848 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
13849 your @file{.emacs} file:
13852 (defun turn-off-backup ()
13853 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
13855 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
13858 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13859 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13860 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
13861 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
13862 extract some information from it before removing it.
13864 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13865 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13866 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
13867 default is @code{nil}.
13869 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
13870 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
13871 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
13873 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
13874 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
13875 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
13876 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
13878 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
13879 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
13880 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
13881 default is @code{nil}.
13883 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
13884 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
13885 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
13887 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
13888 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
13889 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
13890 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
13895 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
13896 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
13897 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
13898 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
13899 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
13900 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
13903 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
13904 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
13906 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
13907 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
13908 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
13909 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
13910 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
13912 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
13913 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
13914 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
13915 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
13916 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
13917 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
13918 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
13919 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
13922 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
13923 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
13924 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
13925 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
13930 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
13931 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
13932 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
13933 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
13934 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
13935 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
13936 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
13937 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
13938 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
13939 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
13940 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
13941 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
13942 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
13947 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
13948 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
13949 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
13950 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
13951 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
13952 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
13953 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
13954 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
13955 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
13956 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
13957 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
13958 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
13959 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
13960 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
13962 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
13963 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
13968 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
13969 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
13970 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
13971 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
13972 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
13973 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
13974 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
13975 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
13976 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
13977 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
13978 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
13979 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
13980 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
13981 provided by the active file and overviews.
13983 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
13984 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
13985 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
13986 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
13987 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
13990 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
13991 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
13996 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
13997 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
13998 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
13999 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14000 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14001 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14002 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14006 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14007 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14008 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14009 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14010 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14011 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14012 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14013 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14014 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14016 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14017 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14018 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14019 friendly mail back end all over.
14023 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14024 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14025 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14026 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14027 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14028 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14029 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14030 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14033 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14034 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14035 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14036 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14037 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14038 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14039 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14040 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14041 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14042 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14043 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14045 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14046 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14047 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14048 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14049 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14050 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14051 This will probably be changed in the future.
14053 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14054 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14055 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14056 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14057 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14060 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14061 parameters slightly different from those of other mail backends.
14063 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14064 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14065 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14066 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14067 parameter to somthing small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14068 would) to make it use less memory.
14070 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14071 with other backends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14072 depending in part on your filesystem.
14074 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14075 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived backend.
14080 @node Browsing the Web
14081 @section Browsing the Web
14083 @cindex browsing the web
14087 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14088 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14089 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14090 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14091 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14092 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14093 even know what a news group is.
14095 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14096 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14097 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14098 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14099 you mad in the end.
14101 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14104 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14105 interfaces to these sources.
14109 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14110 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14111 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14112 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14113 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14114 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14117 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14119 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14120 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14121 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14122 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14123 though, you should be ok.
14125 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14126 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14127 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14128 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14129 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14131 @node Archiving Mail
14132 @subsection Archiving Mail
14133 @cindex archiving mail
14134 @cindex backup of mail
14136 Some of the back ends, notably nnml and nnfolder, now actually store
14137 the article marks with each group. For these servers, archiving and
14138 restoring a group while preserving marks is fairly simple.
14140 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14141 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @code{.newsrc.eld} deity
14144 To archive an entire @code{nnml} or @code{nnfolder} server, take a
14145 recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need to shut down
14146 Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or similar. You
14147 restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and adding a server
14148 definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The @ref{Article
14149 Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things might interfer
14150 with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus before you
14153 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml} or
14154 @code{nnfolder} groups, while preserving marks. For @code{nnml}, you
14155 copy all files in the group's directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need
14156 to copy both the base folder file itself (@code{FOO}, say), and the
14157 marks file (@code{FOO.mrk} in this example). Restoring the group is
14158 done with @kbd{G m} from the Group buffer. The last step makes Gnus
14159 notice the new directory.
14162 @subsection Web Searches
14166 @cindex InReference
14167 @cindex Usenet searches
14168 @cindex searching the Usenet
14170 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14171 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14172 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14173 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14174 searches without having to use a browser.
14176 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14177 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14178 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14179 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14180 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14182 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14183 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14184 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14185 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14186 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14187 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14188 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14189 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14190 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14191 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14194 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14195 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14196 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14197 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14198 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14199 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14201 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14202 to use @code{nnweb}.
14204 Virtual server variables:
14209 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14210 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
14214 @vindex nnweb-search
14215 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14217 @item nnweb-max-hits
14218 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14219 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14222 @item nnweb-type-definition
14223 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14224 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14225 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14230 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14234 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14237 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14240 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14244 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14251 @subsection Slashdot
14255 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14256 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14257 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14259 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14260 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14263 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14264 '((nnslashdot "")))
14267 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14268 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14269 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14270 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14271 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14274 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14275 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14277 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14278 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14279 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14280 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14281 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14282 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14285 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14288 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14289 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14290 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14291 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14292 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14293 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14294 but much, much slower than untreaded.
14296 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14297 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14298 The login name to use when posting.
14300 @item nnslashdot-password
14301 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14302 The password to use when posting.
14304 @item nnslashdot-directory
14305 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14306 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14307 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14309 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14310 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14311 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14312 news articles and comments. The default is
14313 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14315 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14316 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14317 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14319 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14321 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14322 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14323 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14325 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14327 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14328 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14329 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14331 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14332 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14333 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14334 updated. The default is 0.
14341 @subsection Ultimate
14343 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14345 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14346 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14347 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14348 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14350 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14351 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14352 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14353 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14354 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14355 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14356 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14358 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14361 @item nnultimate-directory
14362 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14363 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14364 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14369 @subsection Web Archive
14371 @cindex Web Archive
14373 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14374 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14375 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14376 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14379 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14380 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14381 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14382 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14383 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14384 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14385 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14387 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14390 @item nnwarchive-directory
14391 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14392 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14393 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14395 @item nnwarchive-login
14396 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14397 The account name on the web server.
14399 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14400 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14401 The password for your account on the web server.
14409 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14410 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14411 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14414 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14415 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14418 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14421 @item nnrss-directory
14422 @vindex nnrss-directory
14423 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14424 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14428 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14429 the summary buffer.
14432 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14433 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14435 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14437 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14438 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14441 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14444 (require 'browse-url)
14446 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14448 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14451 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14452 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14454 (browse-url (cdr url))
14455 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14457 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14458 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14459 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14460 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14463 @node Customizing w3
14464 @subsection Customizing w3
14470 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14471 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14472 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14474 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14475 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14476 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
14479 (eval-after-load "w3"
14481 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
14482 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
14483 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
14484 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
14486 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
14489 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
14490 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
14499 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14500 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14501 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14502 specify the network address of the server.
14504 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14505 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14506 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14507 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
14508 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
14510 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
14511 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
14512 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
14513 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
14515 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14516 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
14517 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14518 usage explained in this section.
14520 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14521 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
14522 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
14525 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14526 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14527 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14529 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14530 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14531 ; a UW server running on localhost
14533 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14534 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14535 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14536 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14537 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14538 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14539 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14540 (nnimap-stream network))
14541 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14543 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14544 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14545 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14548 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14553 @item nnimap-address
14554 @vindex nnimap-address
14556 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14557 server name if not specified.
14559 @item nnimap-server-port
14560 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14561 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14563 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
14566 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14567 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14570 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14571 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14572 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14573 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14574 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14575 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14576 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14578 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14579 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14580 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14583 Example server specification:
14586 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14587 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14588 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14591 @item nnimap-stream
14592 @vindex nnimap-stream
14593 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14594 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14595 of SSL/TLS. (IMAP over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
14596 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
14598 Example server specification:
14601 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14602 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14605 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14609 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
14610 @samp{imtest} program.
14612 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
14614 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14615 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14618 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
14619 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
14620 library @samp{ssl.el}.
14622 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14624 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14627 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14628 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
14629 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
14630 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
14631 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
14632 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
14633 restrictions on IMAP commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
14634 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
14635 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14638 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14639 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14640 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14641 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
14642 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14643 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14644 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14645 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
14646 distribution, for instance).
14648 @vindex imap-shell-program
14649 @vindex imap-shell-host
14650 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14651 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14653 @item nnimap-authenticator
14654 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14656 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14657 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14659 Example server specification:
14662 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14663 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14666 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14670 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
14671 external program @code{imtest}.
14673 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
14676 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
14677 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14679 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14681 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14683 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14686 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
14688 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
14689 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
14690 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
14691 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
14692 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
14693 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
14696 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
14697 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
14698 running in circles yet?
14700 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
14701 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
14704 The possible options are:
14709 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
14712 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
14713 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
14714 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
14715 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
14717 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
14722 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
14723 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
14725 If non-nil, marks dormant articles as ticked (as well), for other IMAP
14726 clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will naturally still (only) be
14727 marked as ticked. This is to make dormant articles stand out, just
14728 like ticked articles, in other IMAP clients. (In other words, Gnus has
14729 two ``Tick'' marks and IMAP has only one.)
14731 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
14732 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
14735 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
14736 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14737 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
14738 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14741 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
14742 as ticked for other users.
14744 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
14746 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
14748 This variable contain the IMAP search command sent to server when
14749 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
14750 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
14751 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
14753 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
14754 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
14755 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
14756 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
14758 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
14759 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
14761 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
14762 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
14763 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
14769 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
14770 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
14771 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
14776 @node Splitting in IMAP
14777 @subsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
14778 @cindex splitting imap mail
14780 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
14781 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
14782 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
14783 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
14784 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
14788 Here are the variables of interest:
14792 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
14793 @cindex splitting, crosspost
14795 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
14797 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
14798 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
14800 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
14802 @item nnimap-split-inbox
14803 @cindex splitting, inbox
14805 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
14807 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
14808 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
14812 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
14813 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
14816 No nnmail equivalent.
14818 @item nnimap-split-rule
14819 @cindex Splitting, rules
14820 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
14822 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
14825 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
14826 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
14827 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
14828 Neither did I, we need examples.
14831 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14833 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
14834 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
14835 ("INBOX.private" "")))
14838 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
14839 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
14840 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
14842 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
14843 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
14847 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
14850 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14851 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
14852 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
14853 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
14855 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
14856 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
14857 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
14858 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
14859 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
14860 them every time you fetch new mail.)
14862 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
14863 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
14864 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
14866 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
14867 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
14868 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14870 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
14872 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
14873 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
14874 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
14877 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14878 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14879 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14880 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14881 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14882 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
14885 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
14886 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
14887 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
14888 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
14889 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
14890 group/function elements.
14892 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
14894 @item nnimap-split-predicate
14896 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
14898 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
14899 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
14901 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
14902 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
14903 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
14906 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14907 @cindex splitting, fancy
14908 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
14909 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
14911 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14912 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
14913 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14915 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
14916 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14917 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
14918 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14923 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
14924 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
14927 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14931 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
14932 @subsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14933 @cindex editing imap acls
14934 @cindex Access Control Lists
14935 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14937 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
14939 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
14940 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
14941 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
14944 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
14945 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
14946 editing window with detailed instructions.
14948 Some possible uses:
14952 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
14953 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
14954 follow the list without subscribing to it.
14956 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
14957 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
14958 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
14962 @node Expunging mailboxes
14963 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
14967 @cindex Manual expunging
14969 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
14971 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
14972 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
14973 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
14975 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
14980 @node Other Sources
14981 @section Other Sources
14983 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
14984 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
14988 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
14989 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
14990 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
14991 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
14992 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
14996 @node Directory Groups
14997 @subsection Directory Groups
14999 @cindex directory groups
15001 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15002 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15005 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15006 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15007 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15008 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15010 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15011 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15012 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15013 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15014 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15016 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15018 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15019 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15020 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15021 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15024 @node Anything Groups
15025 @subsection Anything Groups
15028 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15029 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15030 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15033 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15034 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15035 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15036 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15037 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15038 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15039 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15040 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15041 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15042 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15045 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15046 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15047 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15048 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15050 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15051 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15052 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15053 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15055 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15056 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15057 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15058 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15059 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15060 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15061 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15062 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15067 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15068 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15069 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15070 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15072 @item nneething-exclude-files
15073 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15074 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15075 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15077 @item nneething-include-files
15078 @vindex nneething-include-files
15079 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15080 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15082 @item nneething-map-file
15083 @vindex nneething-map-file
15084 Name of the map files.
15088 @node Document Groups
15089 @subsection Document Groups
15091 @cindex documentation group
15094 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15095 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15102 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15107 The standard Unix mbox file.
15109 @cindex MMDF mail box
15111 The MMDF mail box format.
15114 Several news articles appended into a file.
15117 @cindex rnews batch files
15118 The rnews batch transport format.
15119 @cindex forwarded messages
15122 Forwarded articles.
15125 Netscape mail boxes.
15128 MIME multipart messages.
15130 @item standard-digest
15131 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15134 A MIME digest of messages.
15136 @item lanl-gov-announce
15137 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15139 @item rfc822-forward
15140 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15143 The Outlook mail box.
15146 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15149 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15152 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15155 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15161 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15164 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15167 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15168 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15169 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15172 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15173 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15174 group. And that's it.
15176 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15177 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15178 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15179 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15180 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15181 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15182 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15183 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15184 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15185 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15187 Virtual server variables:
15190 @item nndoc-article-type
15191 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15192 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15193 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15194 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15195 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail},
15196 @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman} or @code{guess}.
15198 @item nndoc-post-type
15199 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15200 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15201 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15206 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15210 @node Document Server Internals
15211 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15213 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15214 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15215 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15216 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15218 First, here's an example document type definition:
15222 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15223 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15226 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15227 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15228 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15229 types can be defined with very few settings:
15232 @item first-article
15233 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15234 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15237 @item article-begin
15238 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15239 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15241 @item head-begin-function
15242 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15245 @item nndoc-head-begin
15246 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15249 @item nndoc-head-end
15250 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15251 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15253 @item body-begin-function
15254 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15258 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15261 @item body-end-function
15262 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15266 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15269 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15270 regexp will be totally ignored.
15274 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15275 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15276 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15277 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15278 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15281 @item prepare-body-function
15282 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15283 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15284 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15286 @item article-transform-function
15287 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15288 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15289 body of the article.
15291 @item generate-head-function
15292 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15293 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15294 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15295 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15299 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15304 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15305 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15306 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15307 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15308 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15309 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15310 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15311 (subtype digest guess))
15314 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15315 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15316 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15317 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15318 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15320 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15321 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15322 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15323 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15324 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
15325 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15326 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15327 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15328 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15329 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15337 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15338 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15339 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15341 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15342 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15343 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15346 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15347 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15348 that interested in doing things properly.
15350 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15351 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15354 First some terminology:
15359 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15360 get news and/or mail from.
15363 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15364 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15367 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15371 @item message packets
15372 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15373 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15374 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15376 @item response packets
15377 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15378 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15379 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15389 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15390 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15391 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15392 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
15395 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
15398 You put the packet in your home directory.
15401 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
15402 the native or secondary server.
15405 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
15406 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
15409 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
15413 You transfer this packet to the server.
15416 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
15419 You then repeat until you die.
15423 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
15424 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
15427 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
15428 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
15429 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
15433 @node SOUP Commands
15434 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
15436 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
15440 @kindex G s b (Group)
15441 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
15442 Pack all unread articles in the current group
15443 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
15444 process/prefix convention.
15447 @kindex G s w (Group)
15448 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
15449 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
15452 @kindex G s s (Group)
15453 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
15454 Send all replies from the replies packet
15455 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
15458 @kindex G s p (Group)
15459 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
15460 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
15463 @kindex G s r (Group)
15464 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
15465 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
15468 @kindex O s (Summary)
15469 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
15470 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
15471 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
15472 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15477 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
15482 @item gnus-soup-directory
15483 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
15484 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
15485 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
15487 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
15488 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
15489 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
15490 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
15492 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
15493 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
15494 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
15495 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
15497 @item gnus-soup-packer
15498 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
15499 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15500 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
15502 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
15503 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
15504 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15505 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15507 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
15508 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
15509 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
15511 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15512 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15513 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
15514 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
15520 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
15523 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
15524 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
15525 you can read them at leisure.
15527 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
15531 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
15532 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
15533 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
15534 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
15536 @item nnsoup-directory
15537 @vindex nnsoup-directory
15538 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
15539 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
15541 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
15542 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
15543 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
15544 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
15546 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
15547 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
15548 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
15549 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
15550 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
15552 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
15553 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
15554 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
15555 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
15557 @item nnsoup-active-file
15558 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
15559 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
15560 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
15561 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
15562 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
15564 @item nnsoup-packer
15565 @vindex nnsoup-packer
15566 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
15567 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
15569 @item nnsoup-unpacker
15570 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
15571 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
15572 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15574 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
15575 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
15576 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
15579 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
15580 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
15581 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
15584 @item nnsoup-always-save
15585 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
15586 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
15592 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
15594 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
15595 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
15596 more for that to happen.
15598 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
15599 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
15600 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
15603 In specific, this is what it does:
15606 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
15607 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
15610 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
15611 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
15612 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
15615 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
15616 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
15617 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
15620 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
15621 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
15622 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
15624 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
15630 @item nngateway-address
15631 @vindex nngateway-address
15632 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
15634 @item nngateway-header-transformation
15635 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
15636 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
15637 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
15638 transformation should be called, and defaults to
15639 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
15640 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
15643 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
15644 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
15645 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
15648 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
15651 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
15654 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
15657 The following pre-defined functions exist:
15659 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15662 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15663 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15664 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
15666 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15668 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15669 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15670 @code{nngateway-address}.
15675 (setq gnus-post-method
15677 "mail2news@@replay.com"
15678 (nngateway-header-transformation
15679 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
15687 So, to use this, simply say something like:
15690 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
15695 @node Combined Groups
15696 @section Combined Groups
15698 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
15702 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
15703 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
15707 @node Virtual Groups
15708 @subsection Virtual Groups
15710 @cindex virtual groups
15711 @cindex merging groups
15713 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
15716 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
15717 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
15718 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
15720 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
15721 regexp to match component groups.
15723 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
15724 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
15725 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
15726 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
15727 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
15728 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
15729 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
15730 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
15732 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
15733 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
15736 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
15739 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
15740 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
15742 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
15743 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
15744 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
15745 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
15748 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
15751 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
15752 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
15753 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
15755 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
15756 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
15757 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
15758 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
15759 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
15761 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
15762 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
15763 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
15765 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
15766 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
15767 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
15768 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
15769 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
15770 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
15771 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
15772 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
15773 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
15774 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
15775 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
15777 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
15778 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
15779 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
15780 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
15781 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
15782 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
15783 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
15785 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
15786 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
15788 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
15789 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
15793 @node Kibozed Groups
15794 @subsection Kibozed Groups
15798 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
15799 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
15800 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
15801 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
15803 @kindex G k (Group)
15804 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
15807 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
15808 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
15809 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
15810 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
15812 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
15813 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
15814 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
15816 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
15817 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
15818 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
15819 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
15820 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
15821 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
15822 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
15823 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
15825 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
15826 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
15827 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
15828 Stranger things have happened.
15830 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
15831 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
15833 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
15834 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
15835 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
15836 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
15837 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
15838 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
15840 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
15841 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
15844 @node Gnus Unplugged
15845 @section Gnus Unplugged
15850 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
15852 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
15853 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
15854 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
15855 read news. Believe it or not.
15857 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
15858 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
15859 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
15860 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
15861 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
15863 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
15864 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
15865 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
15866 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
15867 reading news on a machine.
15869 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
15873 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
15874 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
15878 Then, put the following magical incantation in your @file{.gnus.el}
15882 (setq gnus-agent t)
15886 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
15888 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
15891 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
15892 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
15893 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
15894 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
15895 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
15896 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
15897 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
15898 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
15899 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
15900 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
15905 @subsection Agent Basics
15907 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
15909 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
15910 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
15911 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
15912 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
15914 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
15915 connected to the net continuously.
15917 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
15918 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
15920 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
15925 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
15926 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
15927 already fetched while in this mode.
15930 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
15931 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
15932 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
15933 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
15934 Source Specifiers}).
15937 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
15938 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
15939 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
15940 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
15941 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
15944 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
15945 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
15946 then you read the news offline.
15949 And then you go to step 2.
15952 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
15958 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
15959 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
15960 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
15961 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
15962 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
15963 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
15966 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
15973 @node Agent Categories
15974 @subsection Agent Categories
15976 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
15977 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
15978 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
15979 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
15980 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
15981 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
15982 you're interested in the articles anyway.
15984 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
15985 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
15986 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
15987 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
15988 managing categories.
15991 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
15992 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
15993 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
15997 @node Category Syntax
15998 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16000 A category consists of two things.
16004 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16005 are eligible for downloading; and
16008 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16009 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16010 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16013 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16014 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16015 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16016 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16018 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16019 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16020 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16022 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16023 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16024 operators sprinkled in between.
16026 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16028 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16029 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16035 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16036 short (for some value of ``short'').
16038 Here's a more complex predicate:
16047 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16048 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16051 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16052 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16053 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16055 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16056 you want to do, you can write your own.
16060 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16061 lines; default 100.
16064 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16065 lines; default 200.
16068 True iff the article has a download score less than
16069 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16072 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16073 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16076 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16077 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16078 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16087 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16088 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16089 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16092 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16093 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16094 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16095 something along the lines of the following:
16098 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16099 "Say whether an article is old."
16100 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16101 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16104 with the predicate then defined as:
16107 (not my-article-old-p)
16110 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16111 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16115 (require 'gnus-agent)
16116 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16117 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16118 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16121 and simply specify your predicate as:
16127 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16128 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16129 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16130 just don't give a damn.
16132 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16133 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16134 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16135 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16136 parameters like so:
16139 (agent-predicate . short)
16142 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16143 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16144 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16146 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16149 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16152 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16153 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16154 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16157 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16158 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16159 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16160 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16161 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16162 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16164 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16165 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16166 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16167 if it's to be specific to that group.
16169 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16176 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16177 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16183 Category specification
16187 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16193 Group Parameter specification
16196 (agent-score ("from"
16197 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16202 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16208 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16215 Category specification
16218 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16224 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16228 Group Parameter specification
16231 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16234 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16239 Use @code{normal} score files
16241 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16242 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16243 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16244 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16246 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16247 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16248 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16249 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16253 Category Specification
16260 Group Parameter specification
16263 (agent-score . file)
16268 @node Category Buffer
16269 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16271 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16272 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16273 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16275 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16279 @kindex q (Category)
16280 @findex gnus-category-exit
16281 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16284 @kindex k (Category)
16285 @findex gnus-category-kill
16286 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16289 @kindex c (Category)
16290 @findex gnus-category-copy
16291 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16294 @kindex a (Category)
16295 @findex gnus-category-add
16296 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16299 @kindex p (Category)
16300 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16301 Edit the predicate of the current category
16302 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16305 @kindex g (Category)
16306 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16307 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16308 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16311 @kindex s (Category)
16312 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16313 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16314 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16317 @kindex l (Category)
16318 @findex gnus-category-list
16319 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16323 @node Category Variables
16324 @subsubsection Category Variables
16327 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16328 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16329 Hook run in category buffers.
16331 @item gnus-category-line-format
16332 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16333 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16334 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16338 The name of the category.
16341 The number of groups in the category.
16344 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16345 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16346 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16348 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16349 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16350 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16352 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16353 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16354 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16356 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16357 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16358 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16361 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16362 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16363 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16369 @node Agent Commands
16370 @subsection Agent Commands
16372 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16373 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16374 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16378 * Group Agent Commands::
16379 * Summary Agent Commands::
16380 * Server Agent Commands::
16383 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
16384 following incantation:
16386 @cindex gnus-agent-batch
16388 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch
16393 @node Group Agent Commands
16394 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16398 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16399 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16400 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16401 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16404 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16405 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16406 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16409 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16410 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16411 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
16412 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
16415 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
16416 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
16417 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
16418 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
16421 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
16422 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
16423 Add the current group to an Agent category
16424 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
16425 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16428 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
16429 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
16430 Remove the current group from its category, if any
16431 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
16432 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16435 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
16436 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16437 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
16443 @node Summary Agent Commands
16444 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
16448 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
16449 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
16450 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
16453 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
16454 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
16455 Remove the downloading mark from the article
16456 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
16459 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
16460 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
16461 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
16464 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
16465 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
16466 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
16469 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
16470 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
16471 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
16472 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
16477 @node Server Agent Commands
16478 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
16482 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
16483 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
16484 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
16485 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
16488 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
16489 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
16490 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
16491 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
16497 @subsection Agent Expiry
16499 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
16500 @findex gnus-agent-expire
16501 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
16502 @cindex Agent expiry
16503 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
16506 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
16507 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
16508 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
16509 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
16510 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
16511 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
16513 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
16514 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
16515 expiry in different groups.
16518 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
16524 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
16525 method---it must always match all groups.
16527 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
16528 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
16529 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
16530 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
16531 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
16533 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
16534 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
16535 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
16536 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
16538 @node Agent and IMAP
16539 @subsection Agent and IMAP
16541 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
16542 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
16543 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
16544 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
16546 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
16547 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
16548 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
16549 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
16551 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
16552 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
16553 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
16554 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
16555 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
16557 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16558 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
16559 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
16560 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
16561 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
16562 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
16564 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
16565 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
16566 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
16567 in the group buffer by default.
16569 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
16570 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
16575 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
16578 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
16582 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
16583 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
16584 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
16585 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
16586 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
16587 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
16588 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
16589 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
16592 @node Outgoing Messages
16593 @subsection Outgoing Messages
16595 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
16596 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
16597 after posting, and edit them at will.
16599 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
16600 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
16601 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
16602 messages in the draft group.
16606 @node Agent Variables
16607 @subsection Agent Variables
16610 @item gnus-agent-directory
16611 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
16612 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
16613 @file{~/News/agent/}.
16615 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
16616 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
16617 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
16618 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
16619 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
16622 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16623 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16624 Hook run when connecting to the network.
16626 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16627 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16628 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
16630 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16631 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16632 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
16634 @item gnus-agent-cache
16635 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
16636 Variable to control whether use the locally stored NOV and articles when
16639 @item gnus-agent-go-online
16640 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
16641 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
16642 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
16643 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
16644 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
16645 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
16651 @node Example Setup
16652 @subsection Example Setup
16654 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
16655 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
16656 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
16659 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
16660 ;;; from your ISP's server.
16661 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
16663 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
16664 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
16665 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
16667 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
16668 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
16670 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
16671 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
16672 (setq gnus-agent t)
16675 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
16676 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
16679 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
16680 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
16681 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
16682 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
16683 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
16686 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
16687 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
16688 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
16689 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
16690 back all the killed groups.)
16692 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
16693 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
16694 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
16697 @node Batching Agents
16698 @subsection Batching Agents
16700 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
16701 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
16702 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
16706 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
16710 @node Agent Caveats
16711 @subsection Agent Caveats
16713 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
16714 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
16718 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
16722 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
16724 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is `nil'.
16728 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
16729 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP and also uses the
16730 locally stored articles.
16737 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
16738 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
16739 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
16742 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
16743 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
16744 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
16745 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
16746 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
16748 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
16749 before generating the summary buffer.
16751 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
16752 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
16753 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
16755 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
16756 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
16757 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
16758 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
16761 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
16762 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
16763 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
16764 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
16765 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
16766 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
16767 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
16768 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
16769 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
16770 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
16771 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
16772 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
16773 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
16774 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
16775 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
16776 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
16777 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
16781 @node Summary Score Commands
16782 @section Summary Score Commands
16783 @cindex score commands
16785 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
16786 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
16787 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
16788 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
16789 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
16791 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
16792 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
16793 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
16794 score file the current one.
16796 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
16801 @kindex V s (Summary)
16802 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
16803 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
16806 @kindex V S (Summary)
16807 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
16808 Display the score of the current article
16809 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
16812 @kindex V t (Summary)
16813 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
16814 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
16815 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
16818 @kindex V R (Summary)
16819 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
16820 Run the current summary through the scoring process
16821 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
16822 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
16823 effect you're having.
16826 @kindex V c (Summary)
16827 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
16828 Make a different score file the current
16829 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
16832 @kindex V e (Summary)
16833 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
16834 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
16835 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
16839 @kindex V f (Summary)
16840 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
16841 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
16842 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
16845 @kindex V F (Summary)
16846 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
16847 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
16848 after editing score files.
16851 @kindex V C (Summary)
16852 @findex gnus-score-customize
16853 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
16854 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
16858 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
16863 @kindex V m (Summary)
16864 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
16865 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
16866 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
16869 @kindex V x (Summary)
16870 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
16871 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
16872 expunge all articles below this score
16873 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
16876 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
16877 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
16880 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
16881 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
16885 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
16886 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
16888 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
16889 keys are available:
16893 Score on the author name.
16896 Score on the subject line.
16899 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
16902 Score on the @code{References} line.
16908 Score on the number of lines.
16911 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
16914 Score on an "extra" header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
16915 if your NNTP server tracks additional header data in overviews.
16918 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
16919 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
16920 @file{ADAPT} files.)
16929 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
16935 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
16936 what headers you are scoring on.
16948 Substring matching.
16951 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
16980 Greater than number.
16985 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
16986 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
16987 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
16992 Temporary score entry.
16995 Permanent score entry.
16998 Immediately scoring.
17002 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17003 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17004 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17008 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17009 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17010 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17011 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17013 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17014 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17015 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17016 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17017 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17019 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17020 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17021 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17022 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17023 current score file.
17025 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17026 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17027 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17030 @node Group Score Commands
17031 @section Group Score Commands
17032 @cindex group score commands
17034 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17039 @kindex W f (Group)
17040 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17041 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17042 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17043 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17047 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17049 @findex gnus-batch-score
17050 @cindex batch scoring
17052 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17056 @node Score Variables
17057 @section Score Variables
17058 @cindex score variables
17062 @item gnus-use-scoring
17063 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17064 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17065 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17067 @item gnus-kill-killed
17068 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17069 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17070 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17071 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17072 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17073 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17074 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17076 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17077 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17078 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17079 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17080 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17082 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17083 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17084 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17085 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17087 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17088 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17089 @cindex score cache
17090 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17091 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17092 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
17093 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17094 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17095 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17098 @item gnus-save-score
17099 @vindex gnus-save-score
17100 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17101 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17102 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17104 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17105 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17106 across group visits.
17108 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17109 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17110 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
17111 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
17112 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
17113 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
17114 manually entered data.
17116 @item gnus-summary-default-score
17117 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
17118 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
17120 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
17121 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
17122 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
17123 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
17124 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
17125 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
17127 @item gnus-score-over-mark
17128 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
17129 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
17130 default. Default is @samp{+}.
17132 @item gnus-score-below-mark
17133 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
17134 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
17135 default. Default is @samp{-}.
17137 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17138 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17139 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
17140 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
17142 Predefined functions available are:
17145 @item gnus-score-find-single
17146 @findex gnus-score-find-single
17147 Only apply the group's own score file.
17149 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
17150 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
17151 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
17152 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
17153 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
17154 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
17155 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
17156 then a regexp match is done.
17158 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
17159 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
17161 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
17162 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
17163 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
17164 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
17166 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17167 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17168 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
17169 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
17170 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
17174 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
17175 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
17176 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
17177 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
17178 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
17179 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
17180 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
17183 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
17184 overall score file, you could use the value
17186 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17187 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17190 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17191 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17192 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17193 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17194 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17196 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17197 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17198 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
17199 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
17200 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
17201 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
17202 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
17203 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
17205 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17206 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17207 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17209 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17210 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17211 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17212 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17213 threading---according to the current value of
17214 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17215 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17216 simplified in this manner.
17221 @node Score File Format
17222 @section Score File Format
17223 @cindex score file format
17225 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17226 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17227 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17229 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17233 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17235 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17237 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17239 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17244 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17248 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17249 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17250 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17251 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17255 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17256 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17258 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17259 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17260 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17262 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17267 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17268 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17269 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17270 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17271 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17272 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17273 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17274 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17275 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17276 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17277 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17278 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17279 to articles that matches these score entries.
17281 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17282 score entry has one to four elements.
17286 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17287 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17291 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17292 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17293 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17294 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17295 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17296 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17299 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17300 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17301 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17302 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17303 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17306 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17307 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17308 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17309 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17312 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17313 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17314 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
17315 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
17316 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
17317 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
17318 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
17319 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
17320 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
17321 instead, if you feel like.
17324 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
17325 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
17326 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
17327 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
17328 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
17329 if your NNTP server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
17332 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
17336 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
17337 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
17339 These predicates are true if
17342 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
17345 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
17346 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
17353 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
17354 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
17355 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
17356 it's not. I think.)
17358 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
17359 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
17360 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
17361 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
17364 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
17365 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
17366 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
17367 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
17368 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
17369 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
17370 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
17374 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
17375 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
17376 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
17377 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
17378 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
17379 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
17380 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
17381 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
17384 @item Head, Body, All
17385 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
17389 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
17390 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
17391 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
17392 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
17393 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
17394 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
17395 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
17399 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
17400 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
17401 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
17402 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
17403 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
17404 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
17405 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
17406 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
17407 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
17408 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
17409 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
17413 @cindex Score File Atoms
17415 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17416 lower than this number will be marked as read.
17419 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17420 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
17422 @item mark-and-expunge
17423 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17424 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
17427 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
17428 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
17429 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
17430 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
17431 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
17434 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
17435 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
17438 @item exclude-files
17439 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
17440 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
17444 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
17445 ignored when handling global score files.
17448 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
17449 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
17450 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
17451 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
17454 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
17455 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
17456 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
17457 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
17459 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
17463 (mark-and-expunge -100)
17466 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
17467 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
17468 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
17469 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
17470 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
17472 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
17473 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
17474 scoring rules exist.
17477 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
17478 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
17479 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
17480 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
17481 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
17482 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
17483 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17484 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
17485 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
17486 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
17487 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
17491 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
17492 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
17493 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
17494 file for a number of groups.
17497 @cindex local variables
17498 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
17499 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
17500 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
17501 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
17502 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
17506 @node Score File Editing
17507 @section Score File Editing
17509 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
17510 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
17511 with a mode for that.
17513 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
17514 additional commands:
17519 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
17520 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
17521 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
17522 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
17525 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
17526 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
17527 Insert the current date in numerical format
17528 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
17529 you were wondering.
17532 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
17533 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
17534 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
17535 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
17536 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
17541 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
17543 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
17544 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
17546 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
17547 e} to begin editing score files.
17550 @node Adaptive Scoring
17551 @section Adaptive Scoring
17552 @cindex adaptive scoring
17554 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
17555 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
17556 stupidity, to be precise.
17558 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
17559 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
17560 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
17561 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
17562 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17563 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
17564 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
17565 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
17566 variable to @code{(word line)}.
17568 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17569 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
17570 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
17571 might look something like this:
17574 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17575 '((gnus-unread-mark)
17576 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
17577 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
17578 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
17579 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
17580 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
17581 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
17582 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
17583 (gnus-ancient-mark)
17584 (gnus-low-score-mark)
17585 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
17588 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
17589 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
17590 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
17591 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
17592 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
17593 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
17596 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
17597 will be applied to each article.
17599 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
17600 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
17601 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
17602 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
17604 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
17605 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
17606 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
17607 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
17609 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
17610 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
17611 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
17612 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
17614 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
17615 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
17616 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
17617 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
17618 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
17619 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
17621 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
17622 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
17623 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
17624 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
17625 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
17626 aspirins afterwards.)
17628 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
17629 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
17630 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
17632 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
17633 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
17634 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
17636 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
17637 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
17638 let you use different rules in different groups.
17640 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
17641 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
17642 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
17645 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
17646 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
17647 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
17648 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
17649 the length of the match is less than
17650 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
17651 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
17654 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17655 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
17656 headers. If you adapt on words, the
17657 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
17658 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
17661 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17662 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
17663 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
17664 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
17665 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
17668 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
17669 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
17670 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
17671 score with 30 points.
17673 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
17674 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
17675 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
17676 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
17677 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
17679 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
17680 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
17681 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
17682 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
17683 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
17685 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
17686 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
17687 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
17688 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
17690 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
17691 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
17692 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
17693 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
17695 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
17696 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
17697 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
17698 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
17699 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
17701 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
17702 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
17703 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
17705 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
17706 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
17707 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
17708 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
17711 @node Home Score File
17712 @section Home Score File
17714 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
17715 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
17716 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
17717 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
17719 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
17720 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
17721 could perhaps use the same home score file.
17723 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
17724 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
17729 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
17733 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
17734 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
17738 A list. The elements in this list can be:
17742 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
17743 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
17746 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
17747 the home score file.
17750 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
17753 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
17758 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
17761 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17762 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
17765 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
17766 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
17768 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
17770 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17771 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
17774 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
17775 Other functions include
17778 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
17779 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
17780 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
17781 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
17785 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
17786 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
17787 their own home score files:
17790 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17791 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
17792 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
17793 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
17794 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
17797 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
17798 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
17799 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
17800 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
17801 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
17803 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
17804 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
17805 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
17806 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
17807 precedence over this variable.
17810 @node Followups To Yourself
17811 @section Followups To Yourself
17813 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
17814 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
17815 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
17816 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
17817 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
17818 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
17822 @item gnus-score-followup-article
17823 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
17824 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
17827 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
17828 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
17829 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
17833 @vindex message-sent-hook
17834 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
17835 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
17837 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
17841 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
17842 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
17846 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
17847 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
17850 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
17851 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
17856 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
17860 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
17861 is system-dependent.
17864 @node Scoring On Other Headers
17865 @section Scoring On Other Headers
17866 @cindex scoring on other headers
17868 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
17869 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
17870 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
17871 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
17872 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
17874 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
17875 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
17876 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
17877 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
17878 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
17880 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
17883 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
17884 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
17887 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
17888 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
17889 time if you have much mail.
17891 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
17892 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
17898 @section Scoring Tips
17899 @cindex scoring tips
17905 @cindex scoring crossposts
17906 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
17907 the @code{Xref} header.
17909 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
17912 @item Multiple crossposts
17913 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
17914 more than, say, 3 groups:
17917 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
17921 @item Matching on the body
17922 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
17923 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
17924 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
17925 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
17926 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
17927 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
17928 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
17931 @item Marking as read
17932 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
17933 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
17934 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
17938 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
17940 @item Negated character classes
17941 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
17942 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
17943 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
17947 @node Reverse Scoring
17948 @section Reverse Scoring
17949 @cindex reverse scoring
17951 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
17952 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
17953 like this in your score file:
17957 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
17962 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
17963 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
17966 @node Global Score Files
17967 @section Global Score Files
17968 @cindex global score files
17970 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
17971 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
17972 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
17974 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
17975 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
17976 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
17978 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
17979 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
17980 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
17981 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
17982 files are applicable to which group.
17984 To use the score file
17985 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
17986 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
17990 (setq gnus-global-score-files
17991 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
17992 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
17995 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
17997 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
17998 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
17999 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18000 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18002 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18003 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18005 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18006 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18007 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18008 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18009 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18010 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18012 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18018 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18020 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18022 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18024 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18025 lowered out of existence.
18027 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18028 articles completely.
18031 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18032 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18033 old articles for a long time.
18036 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18037 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18038 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18039 holding our breath yet?
18043 @section Kill Files
18046 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18047 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18048 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18050 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18051 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18052 files into score files.
18054 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18055 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18056 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18057 that isn't a very good idea.
18059 Normal kill files look like this:
18062 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18063 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18067 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18068 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18070 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18071 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18074 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18079 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18080 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18081 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18084 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18085 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18086 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18089 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18094 @kindex M-k (Group)
18095 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18096 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18099 @kindex M-K (Group)
18100 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18101 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18104 Kill file variables:
18107 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18108 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18109 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18110 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18111 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18112 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
18113 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
18115 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18116 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18117 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
18118 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
18121 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
18122 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
18123 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
18124 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
18125 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
18126 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
18127 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
18128 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
18129 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
18131 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18132 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18133 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
18138 @node Converting Kill Files
18139 @section Converting Kill Files
18141 @cindex converting kill files
18143 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
18144 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
18145 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
18148 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
18149 You can fetch it from
18150 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
18152 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
18153 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
18154 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
18162 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
18163 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
18164 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
18165 news articles generated every day.
18167 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
18168 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
18169 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
18170 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
18171 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
18172 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
18173 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
18174 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
18177 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
18178 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
18181 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
18182 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
18183 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
18184 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
18188 @node Using GroupLens
18189 @subsection Using GroupLens
18191 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
18193 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
18194 better bit in town at the moment.
18196 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18200 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18201 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18202 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18203 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18205 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18206 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18207 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18208 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18210 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18211 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18212 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18216 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18217 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18218 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18219 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18220 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18221 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18224 @node Rating Articles
18225 @subsection Rating Articles
18227 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18228 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18229 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18230 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18233 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18238 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18239 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18240 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18243 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18244 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18245 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18246 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18247 threads in rec.humor.
18251 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18252 the score of the article you're reading.
18257 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18258 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18259 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18262 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18263 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18264 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18268 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18269 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18272 @node Displaying Predictions
18273 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18275 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18276 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18277 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18278 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18279 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18281 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18282 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18283 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18284 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18285 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18286 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18287 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18288 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18289 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18290 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18291 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18292 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18293 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18295 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18296 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18297 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18298 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18300 The following are valid values for that variable.
18303 @item prediction-spot
18304 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18307 @item confidence-interval
18308 A numeric confidence interval.
18310 @item prediction-bar
18311 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18313 @item confidence-bar
18314 Numerical confidence.
18316 @item confidence-spot
18317 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
18319 @item prediction-num
18320 Plain-old numeric value.
18322 @item confidence-plus-minus
18323 Prediction +/- confidence.
18328 @node GroupLens Variables
18329 @subsection GroupLens Variables
18333 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
18334 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
18335 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
18336 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
18339 @item grouplens-bbb-host
18340 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
18343 @item grouplens-bbb-port
18344 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
18346 @item grouplens-score-offset
18347 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
18348 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
18351 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
18352 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
18353 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
18358 @node Advanced Scoring
18359 @section Advanced Scoring
18361 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
18362 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
18363 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
18364 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
18365 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
18367 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
18371 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
18372 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
18373 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
18377 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
18378 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
18380 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
18381 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
18382 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
18383 non-@code{nil} value.
18385 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
18386 operator, and various match operators.
18393 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18394 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
18395 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
18400 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18401 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
18402 then this operator will return @code{false}.
18407 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
18408 logical negation of the value of its argument.
18412 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
18413 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
18414 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
18415 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
18416 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
18417 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
18418 the ancestry you want to go.
18420 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
18421 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
18422 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
18423 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
18424 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
18427 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
18428 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
18430 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
18431 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
18434 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
18435 when he's talking about Gnus:
18439 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18440 ("subject" "Gnus"))
18446 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
18450 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18457 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
18458 really don't want to read what he's written:
18462 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18463 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
18467 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
18468 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
18469 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
18476 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
18477 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
18478 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
18479 ("body" "white.*socks"))
18483 The possibilities are endless.
18486 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
18487 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
18489 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
18490 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
18491 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
18492 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
18493 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
18494 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
18495 @samp{subject}) first.
18497 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
18498 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
18509 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
18510 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
18516 ("subject" "Gnus")))
18523 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
18524 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
18529 @section Score Decays
18530 @cindex score decays
18533 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
18534 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
18535 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
18536 use them in any sensible way.
18538 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
18539 @findex gnus-decay-score
18540 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
18541 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
18542 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
18543 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
18544 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
18545 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
18546 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
18547 definition of that function:
18550 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
18552 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
18553 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
18556 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
18558 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
18560 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
18563 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
18564 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
18565 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
18566 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
18570 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
18573 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
18576 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
18580 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
18581 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
18582 the new score, which should be an integer.
18584 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
18585 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
18590 @include message.texi
18591 @chapter Emacs MIME
18592 @include emacs-mime.texi
18594 @include sieve.texi
18602 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
18603 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
18604 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
18605 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
18606 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
18607 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
18608 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
18609 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
18610 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
18611 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
18612 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
18613 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
18614 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
18615 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
18616 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
18617 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
18618 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
18619 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
18620 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
18624 @node Process/Prefix
18625 @section Process/Prefix
18626 @cindex process/prefix convention
18628 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
18629 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
18631 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
18632 command to be performed on.
18636 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
18637 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
18638 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
18639 with the current one.
18641 @vindex transient-mark-mode
18642 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
18643 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
18645 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
18646 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
18649 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
18650 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
18652 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
18655 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
18656 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
18657 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
18658 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
18660 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
18661 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
18662 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
18663 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
18664 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
18665 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
18666 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
18667 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
18669 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
18670 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
18671 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
18672 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
18673 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
18677 @section Interactive
18678 @cindex interaction
18682 @item gnus-novice-user
18683 @vindex gnus-novice-user
18684 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
18685 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
18686 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
18687 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
18690 @item gnus-expert-user
18691 @vindex gnus-expert-user
18692 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
18693 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
18694 matter how strange.
18696 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
18697 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
18698 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
18699 is @code{t} by default.
18701 @item gnus-interactive-exit
18702 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
18703 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
18708 @node Symbolic Prefixes
18709 @section Symbolic Prefixes
18710 @cindex symbolic prefixes
18712 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
18713 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
18714 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
18715 rule of 900 to the current article.
18717 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
18718 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
18719 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
18720 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
18721 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
18722 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
18723 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
18725 @kindex M-i (Summary)
18726 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
18727 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
18728 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
18729 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
18730 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
18731 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
18732 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
18733 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
18735 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
18736 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
18737 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
18739 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
18743 @node Formatting Variables
18744 @section Formatting Variables
18745 @cindex formatting variables
18747 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
18748 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
18749 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
18750 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
18751 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
18754 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
18755 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
18756 lots of percentages everywhere.
18759 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
18760 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
18761 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
18762 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
18763 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
18764 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
18765 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
18766 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
18769 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
18770 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
18771 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
18772 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
18773 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
18774 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
18775 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
18776 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
18778 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
18779 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
18781 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
18782 @findex gnus-update-format
18783 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
18784 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
18785 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
18786 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
18790 @node Formatting Basics
18791 @subsection Formatting Basics
18793 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
18794 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
18795 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
18797 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
18798 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
18799 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
18800 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
18801 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
18804 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
18805 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
18806 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
18807 less than 4 characters wide.
18809 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
18810 @samp{%&user-date;}.
18813 @node Mode Line Formatting
18814 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
18816 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
18817 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
18818 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
18819 with the following two differences:
18824 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
18827 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
18828 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
18829 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
18830 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
18831 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
18832 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
18833 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
18838 @node Advanced Formatting
18839 @subsection Advanced Formatting
18841 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
18842 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
18843 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
18844 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
18846 These are the valid modifiers:
18851 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
18855 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
18860 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
18863 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
18868 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
18871 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
18874 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
18877 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
18883 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
18888 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
18889 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
18890 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
18891 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
18892 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
18893 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
18894 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
18896 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
18897 last operation, padding.
18899 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
18900 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
18901 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
18902 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
18903 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
18904 the look of your lines.
18905 @xref{Compilation}.
18908 @node User-Defined Specs
18909 @subsection User-Defined Specs
18911 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
18912 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
18913 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
18914 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
18915 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
18916 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
18917 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
18918 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
18919 should protect against that.
18921 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
18922 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
18924 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
18925 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
18926 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
18927 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
18931 @node Formatting Fonts
18932 @subsection Formatting Fonts
18934 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
18935 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
18936 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
18937 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
18940 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
18941 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
18942 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
18943 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
18944 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
18945 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
18947 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
18948 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
18949 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
18950 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
18951 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
18952 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
18953 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
18954 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
18956 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
18959 ;; Create three face types.
18960 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
18961 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
18963 ;; We want the article count to be in
18964 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
18965 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
18966 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
18968 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
18969 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
18971 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
18972 (setq gnus-group-line-format
18973 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
18976 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
18977 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
18979 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
18980 mode-line variables.
18982 @node Positioning Point
18983 @subsection Positioning Point
18985 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
18986 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
18987 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
18989 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
18991 @findex gnus-goto-colon
18992 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
18993 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
18995 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
18996 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%C} specifier. If you
18997 put a @samp{%C} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19002 @subsection Tabulation
19004 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19005 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19006 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19007 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19009 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19010 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19012 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19013 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19014 This is the soft tabulator.
19016 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19017 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19018 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19021 @node Wide Characters
19022 @subsection Wide Characters
19024 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19025 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19026 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19028 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19029 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19030 these coutries, that's not true.
19032 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19033 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19034 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19035 prettieer. The default value is @code{t}.
19039 @node Window Layout
19040 @section Window Layout
19041 @cindex window layout
19043 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19045 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19046 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19047 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19048 @code{t} by default.
19050 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19051 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19053 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19054 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19055 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19058 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19059 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19060 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19064 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19065 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19066 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19067 possible names is listed below.
19069 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19070 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19073 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19077 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19078 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19079 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19080 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19081 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19082 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19083 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19084 size spec per split.
19086 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19087 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19088 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19089 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19090 present) gets focus.
19092 Here's a more complicated example:
19095 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19096 (summary 0.25 point)
19097 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19101 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19102 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19103 occupy, not a percentage.
19105 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19106 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19107 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19108 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
19109 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
19112 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
19115 (article (horizontal 1.0
19120 (summary 0.25 point)
19125 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
19126 @code{horizontal} thingie?
19128 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
19129 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
19130 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
19131 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
19132 the screen is to be given to this strip.
19134 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
19135 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
19136 lines from the splits.
19138 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
19142 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
19143 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
19144 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
19145 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
19146 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
19147 size = number | frame-params
19148 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
19151 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
19152 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
19153 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
19154 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
19156 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
19157 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
19158 @cindex window height
19159 @cindex window width
19160 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
19161 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
19162 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
19163 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
19164 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
19165 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
19167 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
19168 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
19169 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
19170 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
19172 @findex gnus-configure-frame
19173 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
19174 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
19175 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
19176 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
19177 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
19178 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
19179 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
19180 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
19181 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
19182 configuration list.
19185 (gnus-configure-frame
19189 (article 0.3 point))
19197 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19198 @code{frame} split:
19201 (gnus-configure-frame
19204 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19206 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19207 (user-position . t)
19208 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19213 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19214 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19215 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19216 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19217 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19218 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19219 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19220 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19222 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19223 be found in its default value.
19225 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19226 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19227 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19231 (message (horizontal 1.0
19232 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19234 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19239 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19240 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19241 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19246 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19247 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19248 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19249 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19250 (name . "Message"))
19251 (message 1.0 point))))
19254 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19255 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19256 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19257 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19258 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19261 (gnus-add-configuration
19262 '(article (vertical 1.0
19264 (summary .25 point)
19268 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19269 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19270 Gnus has been loaded.
19272 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19273 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19274 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19275 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19276 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19278 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19279 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19280 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19283 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19287 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19288 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19303 (gnus-add-configuration
19306 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19308 (summary 0.16 point)
19311 (gnus-add-configuration
19314 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19315 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
19321 @node Faces and Fonts
19322 @section Faces and Fonts
19327 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
19328 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
19329 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
19334 @section Compilation
19335 @cindex compilation
19336 @cindex byte-compilation
19338 @findex gnus-compile
19340 Remember all those line format specification variables?
19341 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
19342 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
19343 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
19344 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
19345 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
19346 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
19347 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
19350 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
19351 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
19352 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
19353 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
19354 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19357 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
19358 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
19359 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
19360 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
19361 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
19366 @section Mode Lines
19369 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
19370 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
19371 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
19372 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
19373 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
19374 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
19375 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
19378 @cindex display-time
19380 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
19381 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
19382 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
19383 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
19384 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
19385 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
19386 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
19387 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
19390 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
19392 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
19393 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
19395 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
19396 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
19397 (length display-time-string)))))
19400 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
19401 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
19402 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
19403 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
19404 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
19407 @node Highlighting and Menus
19408 @section Highlighting and Menus
19410 @cindex highlighting
19413 @vindex gnus-visual
19414 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
19415 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
19416 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
19419 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
19420 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
19423 @item group-highlight
19424 Do highlights in the group buffer.
19425 @item summary-highlight
19426 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
19427 @item article-highlight
19428 Do highlights in the article buffer.
19430 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
19432 Create menus in the group buffer.
19434 Create menus in the summary buffers.
19436 Create menus in the article buffer.
19438 Create menus in the browse buffer.
19440 Create menus in the server buffer.
19442 Create menus in the score buffers.
19444 Create menus in all buffers.
19447 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
19448 buffers, you could say something like:
19451 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
19454 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
19457 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
19460 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
19461 in all Gnus buffers.
19463 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
19466 @item gnus-mouse-face
19467 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
19468 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
19469 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
19473 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
19477 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
19478 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
19479 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
19481 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
19482 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
19483 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
19485 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
19486 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
19487 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
19489 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
19490 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
19491 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
19493 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
19494 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
19495 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
19497 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
19498 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
19499 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
19510 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
19511 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
19512 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
19513 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
19514 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
19518 @vindex gnus-carpal
19519 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
19520 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
19521 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
19526 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19527 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19528 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
19530 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
19531 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
19532 Face used on buttons.
19534 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
19535 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
19536 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
19538 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19539 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19540 Buttons in the group buffer.
19542 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19543 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19544 Buttons in the summary buffer.
19546 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19547 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19548 Buttons in the server buffer.
19550 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19551 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19552 Buttons in the browse buffer.
19555 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
19556 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
19557 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
19565 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
19566 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
19567 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
19568 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
19569 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
19571 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
19572 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
19573 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
19575 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
19576 been idle for thirty minutes:
19579 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
19582 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
19586 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
19589 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
19590 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
19591 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19593 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
19594 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
19595 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
19596 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19598 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
19599 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
19600 @var{idle} minutes.
19602 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
19603 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
19606 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
19607 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
19608 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
19610 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
19611 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
19612 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
19613 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
19615 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
19616 your @file{.gnus} file:
19618 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
19620 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
19623 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
19624 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
19625 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
19626 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
19627 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
19628 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
19629 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
19630 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
19631 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
19632 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
19633 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
19635 @findex gnus-demon-init
19636 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
19637 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
19638 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
19639 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
19640 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
19642 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
19643 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
19644 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
19653 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
19654 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
19656 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
19657 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
19658 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
19659 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
19662 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
19663 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
19664 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
19665 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
19667 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
19668 this will make spam disappear.
19670 There are some variables to customize, of course:
19673 @item gnus-use-nocem
19674 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
19675 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
19678 @item gnus-nocem-groups
19679 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
19680 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
19681 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
19682 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
19684 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
19685 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
19686 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
19687 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
19688 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
19689 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
19691 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
19692 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
19694 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
19695 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
19696 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
19697 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
19698 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
19699 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
19700 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
19701 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
19702 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
19703 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
19705 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
19706 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
19709 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
19712 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
19713 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
19716 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
19719 The specs are applied left-to-right.
19722 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
19723 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
19725 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
19726 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
19727 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
19728 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
19730 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
19731 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
19734 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
19736 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
19744 This might be dangerous, though.
19746 @item gnus-nocem-directory
19747 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
19748 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
19749 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
19751 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
19752 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
19753 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
19754 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
19755 might then see old spam.
19757 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
19758 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
19759 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
19760 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
19761 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
19764 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
19765 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
19766 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
19767 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
19771 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
19772 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
19773 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
19774 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
19781 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
19782 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
19783 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
19785 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
19786 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
19787 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
19788 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
19789 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
19790 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
19791 @code{undo} function.
19793 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
19794 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
19795 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
19796 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
19797 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
19798 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
19799 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
19800 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
19801 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
19802 never be totally undoable.
19804 @findex gnus-undo-mode
19805 @vindex gnus-use-undo
19807 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
19808 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
19809 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
19810 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
19814 @node Predicate Specifiers
19815 @section Predicate Specifiers
19816 @cindex predicate specifiers
19818 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
19819 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
19820 to type all that much.
19822 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
19827 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
19828 gnus-article-unread-p)
19831 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
19832 functions all take one parameter.
19834 @findex gnus-make-predicate
19835 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
19836 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
19837 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
19842 @section Moderation
19845 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
19846 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
19847 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
19850 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
19854 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
19857 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
19859 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
19864 You split your incoming mail by matching on
19865 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
19866 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
19869 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
19870 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
19873 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
19874 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
19878 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
19881 (setq gnus-moderated-list
19882 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
19886 @node Image Enhancements
19887 @section Image Enhancements
19889 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
19890 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
19893 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
19894 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
19895 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
19896 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
19897 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
19910 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
19911 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
19912 over your shoulder as you read news.
19915 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
19916 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
19917 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
19918 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
19919 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
19924 @subsubsection Picon Basics
19926 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
19935 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
19936 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
19937 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
19938 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
19939 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
19940 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
19941 @code{GIF} formats.
19944 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19945 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
19946 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
19947 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
19948 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
19950 @vindex gnus-picons-database
19951 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
19952 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
19953 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
19954 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
19955 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
19957 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
19958 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
19961 @node Picon Requirements
19962 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
19964 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
19965 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
19966 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
19967 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
19969 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
19970 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
19971 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
19972 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
19973 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
19974 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
19977 @subsubsection Easy Picons
19979 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
19980 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
19983 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
19984 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
19987 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
19988 containing the Picons databases.
19990 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
19993 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19994 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
19999 @subsubsection Hard Picons
20007 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
20008 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
20009 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
20010 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
20011 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
20016 @item gnus-picons-database
20017 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20018 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
20019 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20020 subdirectories. This is only useful if
20021 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
20022 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
20024 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20025 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20026 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
20027 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
20028 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
20029 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
20030 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20032 @item gnus-picons-display-where
20033 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20034 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
20035 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
20036 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
20037 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
20038 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
20039 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
20041 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20042 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20043 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
20048 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
20049 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
20051 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
20052 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
20055 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20057 @item gnus-article-display-picons
20058 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
20059 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
20060 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
20062 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20063 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20064 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
20065 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
20071 @node Picon Useless Configuration
20072 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
20080 The following variables offer further control over how things are
20081 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
20082 don't need to worry about.
20086 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
20087 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
20088 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20089 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20091 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
20092 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
20093 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
20094 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
20096 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
20097 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
20098 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20099 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20100 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20102 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20103 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20104 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
20105 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
20106 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
20107 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
20108 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
20109 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20111 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20112 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20113 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
20114 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
20115 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20117 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20118 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20119 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
20120 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
20121 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
20122 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
20123 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
20125 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20126 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20127 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
20128 Defaults to @code{nil}.
20130 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
20131 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
20132 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
20133 Defaults to @code{t}.
20135 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20136 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20137 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20138 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
20140 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
20141 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
20142 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
20144 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20145 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20146 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
20147 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
20149 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
20150 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
20152 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20153 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20154 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
20155 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
20156 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
20157 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
20158 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
20159 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
20170 @subsection Smileys
20175 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20180 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20181 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20183 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20184 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20187 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20190 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
20191 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20192 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20193 text and maps that to file names.
20195 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
20196 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
20197 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20198 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20199 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20200 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20202 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20203 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20205 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20206 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20207 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20209 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20210 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20214 @item smiley-data-directory
20215 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20216 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20218 @item smiley-flesh-color
20219 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20220 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20222 @item smiley-features-color
20223 @vindex smiley-features-color
20224 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20226 @item smiley-tongue-color
20227 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20228 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20230 @item smiley-circle-color
20231 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20232 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20234 @item smiley-mouse-face
20235 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20236 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20245 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20246 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20247 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20251 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20252 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20253 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20254 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20262 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20263 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20264 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20265 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20267 The variable that controls this is the
20268 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20269 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20270 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20271 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20272 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20274 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20275 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20276 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20277 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20280 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20281 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20282 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20283 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20284 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20285 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20286 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20287 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20289 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20292 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20293 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20295 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20296 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files
20297 in @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20298 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20299 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20300 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big.
20302 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a file as the parameter, and then
20303 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20304 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20306 Here's how you would typically use the former function. Put something
20307 like the folllowing in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20310 (setq message-required-news-headers
20311 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20312 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20315 Using the latter function would be something like this:
20318 (setq message-required-news-headers
20319 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20320 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20321 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20322 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20327 @subsection Toolbar
20337 @item gnus-use-toolbar
20338 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
20339 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
20340 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
20341 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
20343 @item gnus-group-toolbar
20344 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
20345 The toolbar in the group buffer.
20347 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
20348 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
20349 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
20351 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20352 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20353 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
20359 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20362 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20363 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20364 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20365 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20366 unusual directory structure.
20368 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20369 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20370 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20371 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
20373 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20374 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20375 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
20376 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
20377 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
20378 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
20380 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20381 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20382 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
20396 @node Fuzzy Matching
20397 @section Fuzzy Matching
20398 @cindex fuzzy matching
20400 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
20401 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
20403 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
20404 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
20405 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
20407 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
20408 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
20409 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
20410 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
20411 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
20414 @node Thwarting Email Spam
20415 @section Thwarting Email Spam
20419 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20421 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
20422 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
20423 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
20424 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
20425 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
20426 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
20427 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
20428 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
20431 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
20432 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
20433 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
20434 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
20435 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
20436 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
20440 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
20441 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
20443 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
20444 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
20445 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
20446 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
20447 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
20448 part of the mail address.)
20451 (setq message-default-news-headers
20452 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
20455 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
20456 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
20461 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
20462 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
20463 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
20469 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
20470 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
20471 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
20472 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
20474 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
20475 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
20476 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
20477 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
20478 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
20479 your fancy split rule in this way:
20484 (to "larsi" "misc")
20488 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
20489 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
20490 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
20491 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
20492 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
20494 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
20495 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
20496 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
20497 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
20498 cosmic balance somewhat.
20500 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
20501 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
20502 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
20503 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
20506 @node Various Various
20507 @section Various Various
20513 @item gnus-home-directory
20514 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
20515 defaults to @file{~/}.
20517 @item gnus-directory
20518 @vindex gnus-directory
20519 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
20520 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
20521 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
20523 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
20524 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
20525 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
20526 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
20528 @item gnus-default-directory
20529 @vindex gnus-default-directory
20530 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
20531 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
20532 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
20533 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
20534 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
20535 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
20538 @vindex gnus-verbose
20539 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
20540 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
20541 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
20542 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
20543 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
20545 @item gnus-verbose-backends
20546 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
20547 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
20548 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
20550 @item nnheader-max-head-length
20551 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
20552 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
20553 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
20554 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
20555 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
20556 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
20557 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
20558 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
20559 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
20561 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
20562 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
20563 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
20564 read when doing the operation described above.
20566 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20567 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20569 @cindex invalid characters in file names
20570 @cindex characters in file names
20571 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
20572 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
20573 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
20576 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20580 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
20581 Windows (phooey) systems.
20583 @item gnus-hidden-properties
20584 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
20585 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
20586 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
20587 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
20589 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
20590 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
20591 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
20592 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
20593 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
20595 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
20596 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
20597 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
20599 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
20600 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
20602 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
20603 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
20604 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
20605 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
20608 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
20616 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
20617 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
20619 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
20621 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
20627 Not because of victories @*
20630 but for the common sunshine,@*
20632 the largess of the spring.
20636 but for the day's work done@*
20637 as well as I was able;@*
20638 not for a seat upon the dais@*
20639 but at the common table.@*
20644 @chapter Appendices
20647 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
20648 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
20649 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
20650 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
20651 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
20652 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
20653 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
20654 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
20655 * Frequently Asked Questions::
20662 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
20664 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
20665 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
20666 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
20667 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
20668 @samp{xemacs-base}, and @samp{fsf-compat}.
20675 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
20676 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
20678 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
20679 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
20680 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
20681 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
20682 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
20684 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
20685 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
20686 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
20687 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
20688 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
20689 appropriate name, don't you think?)
20691 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
20692 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
20693 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
20694 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
20697 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
20698 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
20699 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
20700 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
20701 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
20702 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
20703 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
20704 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
20705 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
20709 @node Gnus Versions
20710 @subsection Gnus Versions
20712 @cindex September Gnus
20714 @cindex Quassia Gnus
20715 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
20719 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
20720 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
20721 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
20723 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
20724 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
20726 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
20727 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
20729 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
20730 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
20732 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
20733 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
20736 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
20738 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
20739 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
20740 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
20741 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
20742 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
20743 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
20746 @node Other Gnus Versions
20747 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
20750 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
20751 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
20752 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
20753 @sc{mime} capabilities.
20755 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
20756 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
20757 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
20758 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
20765 What's the point of Gnus?
20767 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
20768 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
20769 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
20770 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
20771 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
20772 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
20773 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
20774 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
20775 keep track of millions of people who post?
20777 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
20778 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
20779 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
20780 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
20781 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
20782 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
20783 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
20784 every one of you to explore and invent.
20786 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
20787 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
20790 @node Compatibility
20791 @subsection Compatibility
20793 @cindex compatibility
20794 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
20795 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
20796 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
20801 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
20805 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
20808 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
20811 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
20812 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
20813 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
20814 important variables have their values copied into their global
20815 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
20816 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
20818 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
20819 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
20820 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
20821 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
20822 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
20826 @cindex highlighting
20827 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
20828 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
20829 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
20830 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
20831 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
20832 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
20835 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
20836 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
20837 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
20838 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
20840 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
20841 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
20842 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
20843 to stop doing it the old way.
20845 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
20847 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
20849 @cindex reporting bugs
20851 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
20852 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
20853 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
20855 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
20856 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
20857 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
20858 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
20863 @subsection Conformity
20865 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
20866 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
20874 There are no known breaches of this standard.
20878 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
20880 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
20881 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
20882 We do have some breaches to this one.
20888 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
20889 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
20890 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
20891 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
20892 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
20897 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
20898 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
20899 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
20900 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
20902 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
20904 All the various MIME RFCs are supported.
20906 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
20907 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
20909 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
20912 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
20913 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
20914 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-MIME aware PGP
20915 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
20916 decoding (verification and decryption).
20918 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
20919 RFC 2015 (superceded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
20920 1991) describes the MIME-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
20921 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
20923 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
20924 RFC 2633 describes the S/MIME format.
20926 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
20927 RFC 1730 is IMAP version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (IMAP 4
20928 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for IMAP. RFC
20929 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for IMAP. RFC 2359
20930 describes a IMAP protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
20931 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with IMAP. RFC 1731 describes the
20932 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for IMAP.
20936 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
20937 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
20942 @subsection Emacsen
20948 Gnus should work on :
20956 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
20960 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
20961 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
20962 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
20963 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
20964 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
20966 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
20967 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
20968 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
20972 @node Gnus Development
20973 @subsection Gnus Development
20975 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
20976 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
20977 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
20978 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
20979 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
20980 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
20981 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
20982 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
20984 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
20985 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
20986 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
20987 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
20988 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
20991 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
20992 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
20993 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
20994 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
20995 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
20997 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
20998 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
20999 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
21000 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
21001 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
21002 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
21003 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
21004 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
21005 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
21006 can't be assumed to do so.
21011 @subsection Contributors
21012 @cindex contributors
21014 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
21015 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
21016 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
21017 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
21018 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
21019 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
21020 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
21021 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
21022 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
21023 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
21025 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
21031 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
21034 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
21035 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
21036 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
21037 functionality and stuff.
21040 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
21041 well as numerous other things).
21044 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
21047 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
21050 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
21053 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
21056 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
21057 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
21060 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
21063 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
21064 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
21067 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
21070 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
21073 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
21076 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
21079 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
21080 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
21083 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
21086 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
21089 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
21092 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
21096 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
21099 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
21102 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
21105 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
21106 well as autoconf support.
21110 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
21111 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
21113 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
21122 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
21126 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
21136 Alexei V. Barantsev,
21151 Massimo Campostrini,
21156 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
21157 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
21161 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
21164 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
21170 Michael Welsh Duggan,
21175 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
21179 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
21187 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
21189 Michelangelo Grigni,
21193 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
21195 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
21197 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
21204 François Felix Ingrand,
21205 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
21206 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
21208 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
21219 Peter Skov Knudsen,
21220 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
21222 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
21223 Thor Kristoffersen,
21226 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
21244 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
21245 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
21252 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
21257 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
21261 John McClary Prevost,
21267 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
21272 Christian von Roques,
21275 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
21282 Philippe Schnoebelen,
21284 Randal L. Schwartz,
21298 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
21303 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
21319 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
21324 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
21325 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
21326 (550kB and counting).
21328 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
21331 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
21332 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
21336 @subsection New Features
21337 @cindex new features
21340 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
21341 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
21342 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
21343 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
21344 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
21347 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
21348 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
21349 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
21352 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
21354 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
21359 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
21360 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
21363 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
21364 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
21367 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
21370 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
21371 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
21372 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
21375 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
21376 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
21377 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
21378 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21381 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
21382 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21385 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
21386 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
21387 (@pxref{The Active File}).
21390 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
21391 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
21394 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
21395 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
21396 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21399 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
21400 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
21401 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
21404 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
21405 the @file{.emacs} file.
21408 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
21409 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
21412 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
21413 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
21416 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
21417 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21420 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
21421 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
21424 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
21425 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21428 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
21431 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
21432 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
21435 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
21436 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
21439 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
21440 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
21443 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
21446 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
21447 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
21450 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
21454 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
21458 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
21459 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
21462 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
21468 @node September Gnus
21469 @subsubsection September Gnus
21473 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
21477 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
21482 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
21483 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
21487 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
21488 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
21492 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
21496 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
21497 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
21500 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
21504 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
21507 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
21510 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
21513 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
21517 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
21518 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
21521 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
21525 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
21529 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
21533 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
21537 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
21540 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
21541 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
21544 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
21548 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
21549 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
21552 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
21555 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
21556 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
21557 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
21560 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
21564 The Gnus cache is much faster.
21567 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
21571 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
21572 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
21575 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
21576 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
21579 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
21580 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21583 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
21584 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
21585 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
21588 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
21589 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
21592 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
21595 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
21598 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
21601 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
21604 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
21605 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
21608 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
21612 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
21615 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
21620 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
21623 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
21627 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21630 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
21634 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
21637 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
21640 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
21641 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21644 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
21645 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
21649 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
21650 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
21653 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
21657 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
21658 buffer to allow easier treatment.
21661 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
21664 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
21668 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
21672 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
21673 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
21676 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
21680 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
21681 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
21684 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
21685 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
21688 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
21692 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
21695 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
21698 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
21704 @subsubsection Red Gnus
21706 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
21710 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
21717 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
21720 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
21721 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21724 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
21725 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
21729 Article washing status can be displayed in the
21730 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
21733 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
21736 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
21737 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
21740 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
21744 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
21745 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
21749 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
21750 Server Internals}).
21753 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
21757 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
21760 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
21761 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
21764 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
21765 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
21766 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
21769 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
21770 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
21773 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
21774 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
21777 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
21781 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
21782 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21785 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
21786 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21789 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
21793 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
21796 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
21800 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
21801 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21804 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
21805 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
21808 A new command for reading collections of documents
21809 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
21810 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
21813 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
21817 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
21818 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
21821 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
21822 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
21823 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
21826 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
21827 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
21831 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
21835 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
21839 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
21844 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
21848 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
21852 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
21853 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
21856 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
21862 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
21864 New features in Gnus 5.6:
21869 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
21870 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
21871 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
21874 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
21875 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
21876 group, which is created automatically.
21879 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
21883 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
21886 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
21887 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
21890 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
21894 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
21897 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
21898 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
21901 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
21904 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
21905 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
21908 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
21909 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
21912 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
21913 control over simplification.
21916 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
21919 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
21923 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
21926 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
21929 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
21930 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
21931 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
21934 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
21935 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
21938 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
21942 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
21943 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
21946 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
21947 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
21950 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
21954 A history of where mails have been split is available.
21957 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
21960 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
21961 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
21964 A new function for citing in Message has been
21965 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
21968 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
21971 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
21975 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
21976 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
21979 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
21980 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
21983 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
21986 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
21990 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
21991 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
21993 New features in Gnus 5.8:
21998 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
21999 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
22001 If you used procmail like in
22004 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
22005 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
22006 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
22007 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
22010 this now has changed to
22014 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
22018 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
22019 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
22022 Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
22023 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
22026 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
22027 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
22030 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
22031 called to position point.
22034 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
22035 summary buffers and NOV files.
22038 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
22039 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
22042 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
22043 subtly different manner.
22046 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
22047 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
22048 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
22051 Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
22059 @section The Manual
22063 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
22064 either @code{texi2dvi}
22066 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
22067 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
22069 to get what you hold in your hands now.
22071 The following conventions have been used:
22076 This is a @samp{string}
22079 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
22082 This is a @file{file}
22085 This is a @code{symbol}
22089 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
22093 (setq flargnoze "yes")
22096 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
22099 (setq flumphel 'yes)
22102 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
22103 ever get them confused.
22107 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
22108 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
22109 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
22110 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
22111 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
22112 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
22113 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
22119 @node On Writing Manuals
22120 @section On Writing Manuals
22122 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
22123 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
22124 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
22125 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
22126 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
22127 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
22130 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
22131 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
22132 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
22135 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
22136 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
22141 @section Terminology
22143 @cindex terminology
22148 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
22149 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
22150 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
22151 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
22152 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
22156 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
22157 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
22158 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
22159 not posting, and replying is not following up.
22163 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
22167 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
22172 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of back ends, both news and mail
22173 back ends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
22174 is all done by the back ends.
22178 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
22179 default, way of getting news.
22183 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
22184 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
22189 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
22190 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
22194 A message that has been posted as news.
22197 @cindex mail message
22198 A message that has been mailed.
22202 A mail message or news article
22206 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
22211 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
22216 A line from the head of an article.
22220 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
22221 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
22225 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
22226 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
22227 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
22228 normal @sc{head} format.
22232 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
22233 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
22234 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
22235 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
22236 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
22237 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
22239 @item killed groups
22240 @cindex killed groups
22241 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
22242 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
22244 @item zombie groups
22245 @cindex zombie groups
22246 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
22249 @cindex active file
22250 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
22251 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
22252 is rather large, as you might surmise.
22255 @cindex bogus groups
22256 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
22257 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
22258 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
22261 @cindex activating groups
22262 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
22263 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
22264 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
22268 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
22270 @item select method
22271 @cindex select method
22272 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
22275 @item virtual server
22276 @cindex virtual server
22277 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
22278 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
22279 whole is a virtual server.
22283 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
22284 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
22287 @item ephemeral groups
22288 @cindex ephemeral groups
22289 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
22290 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
22291 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
22294 @cindex solid groups
22295 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
22296 group buffer are solid groups.
22298 @item sparse articles
22299 @cindex sparse articles
22300 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
22301 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
22305 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
22306 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
22310 @cindex thread root
22311 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
22312 articles in the thread.
22316 An article that has responses.
22320 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
22324 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
22325 specified by RFC 1153.
22331 @node Customization
22332 @section Customization
22333 @cindex general customization
22335 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
22336 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
22337 for some quite common situations.
22340 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
22341 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
22342 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
22343 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
22347 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
22348 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
22350 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
22351 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
22352 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
22356 @item gnus-read-active-file
22357 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
22358 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
22359 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22360 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
22361 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
22363 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
22364 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
22365 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
22366 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
22370 @node Slow Terminal Connection
22371 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
22373 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
22374 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
22375 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
22379 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
22380 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
22381 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
22382 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
22383 horizontal and vertical recentering.
22385 @item gnus-visible-headers
22386 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
22387 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
22388 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
22389 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
22391 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
22393 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
22394 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
22395 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
22398 @item gnus-use-full-window
22399 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
22400 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
22401 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
22402 want to read them anyway.
22404 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
22405 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
22409 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
22410 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
22411 lines, which might save some time.
22415 @node Little Disk Space
22416 @subsection Little Disk Space
22419 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
22420 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
22424 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
22425 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
22426 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22427 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22430 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
22431 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
22432 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22433 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22436 @item gnus-save-killed-list
22437 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
22438 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
22439 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
22440 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
22446 @subsection Slow Machine
22447 @cindex slow machine
22449 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
22450 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
22452 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22453 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
22455 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
22456 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
22457 summary buffer faster.
22461 @node Troubleshooting
22462 @section Troubleshooting
22463 @cindex troubleshooting
22465 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
22473 Make sure your computer is switched on.
22476 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
22477 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
22481 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
22482 like @samp{T-gnus 6.15.* (based on Oort Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
22483 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
22484 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
22485 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
22488 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
22492 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
22493 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
22494 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
22495 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
22496 something like that.
22499 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
22502 @cindex reporting bugs
22504 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
22506 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
22507 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
22508 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
22509 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
22511 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
22512 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
22513 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
22514 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
22517 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
22518 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
22519 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
22520 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
22521 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
22522 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
22524 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
22525 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
22526 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
22530 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
22531 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
22533 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
22534 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
22536 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
22537 @cindex ding mailing list
22538 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
22539 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
22543 @node Gnus Reference Guide
22544 @section Gnus Reference Guide
22546 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
22547 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
22548 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
22549 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
22552 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
22553 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
22554 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
22555 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
22556 and general methods of operation.
22559 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
22560 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
22561 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
22562 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
22563 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
22564 * Group Info:: The group info format.
22565 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
22566 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
22567 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
22571 @node Gnus Utility Functions
22572 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
22573 @cindex Gnus utility functions
22574 @cindex utility functions
22576 @cindex internal variables
22578 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
22579 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
22580 Below is a list of the most common ones.
22584 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
22585 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
22586 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
22588 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
22589 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
22590 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
22592 @item gnus-group-real-name
22593 @findex gnus-group-real-name
22594 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
22597 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
22598 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
22599 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
22600 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
22602 @item gnus-get-info
22603 @findex gnus-get-info
22604 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
22606 @item gnus-group-unread
22607 @findex gnus-group-unread
22608 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
22612 @findex gnus-active
22613 The active entry for @var{group}.
22615 @item gnus-set-active
22616 @findex gnus-set-active
22617 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
22619 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
22620 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
22621 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
22624 @item gnus-continuum-version
22625 @findex gnus-continuum-version
22626 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
22627 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
22630 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
22631 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
22632 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
22634 @item gnus-news-group-p
22635 @findex gnus-news-group-p
22636 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
22638 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
22639 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
22640 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
22642 @item gnus-server-to-method
22643 @findex gnus-server-to-method
22644 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
22646 @item gnus-server-equal
22647 @findex gnus-server-equal
22648 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
22650 @item gnus-group-native-p
22651 @findex gnus-group-native-p
22652 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
22654 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
22655 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
22656 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
22658 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
22659 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
22660 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
22662 @item group-group-find-parameter
22663 @findex group-group-find-parameter
22664 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
22665 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
22667 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
22668 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
22669 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
22671 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
22672 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
22673 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
22675 @item gnus-check-backend-function
22676 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
22677 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
22678 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
22681 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
22685 @item gnus-read-method
22686 @findex gnus-read-method
22687 Prompts the user for a select method.
22692 @node Back End Interface
22693 @subsection Back End Interface
22695 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
22696 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
22697 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
22698 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
22699 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
22700 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
22702 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
22703 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
22704 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
22705 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
22706 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
22707 been opened, the function should fail.
22709 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
22710 name. Take this example:
22714 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
22715 (nntp-port-number 4324))
22718 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
22719 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
22721 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
22722 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
22723 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
22725 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
22726 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
22727 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
22729 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
22730 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
22731 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
22732 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
22733 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
22734 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
22737 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
22738 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
22739 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
22740 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
22743 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
22744 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
22745 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
22746 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
22747 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
22748 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
22749 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
22750 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
22751 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
22752 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
22754 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
22755 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
22756 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
22757 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
22758 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
22759 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
22760 of numbers as long as possible.
22762 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
22765 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
22768 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
22769 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
22770 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
22771 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
22772 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
22773 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
22777 @node Required Back End Functions
22778 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
22782 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
22784 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
22785 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
22786 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
22787 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
22789 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
22790 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
22791 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
22792 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
22794 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
22795 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
22796 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
22797 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
22798 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
22799 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
22800 number, do maximum fetches.
22802 Here's an example HEAD:
22805 221 1056 Article retrieved.
22806 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
22807 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
22808 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
22809 Subject: Re: Something very droll
22810 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
22811 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
22813 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
22814 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
22815 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
22819 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
22820 these in the data buffer.
22822 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
22826 head = error / valid-head
22827 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
22828 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
22829 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
22830 header = <text> eol
22833 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
22834 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
22838 nov-buffer = *nov-line
22839 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
22840 field = <text except TAB>
22843 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
22847 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
22849 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
22850 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
22852 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
22853 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
22854 server. In fact, it should do so.
22856 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
22857 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
22860 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
22862 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
22863 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
22866 There should be no data returned.
22869 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
22871 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
22872 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
22873 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
22874 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
22876 There should be no data returned.
22879 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
22881 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
22882 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
22883 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
22884 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
22886 There should be no data returned.
22889 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
22891 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
22893 There should be no data returned.
22896 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
22898 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
22899 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
22900 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
22901 it would be nice if that were possible.
22903 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
22904 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
22905 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
22906 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
22907 into its article buffer.
22909 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
22910 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
22911 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
22912 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
22913 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
22914 on successful article retrieval.
22917 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
22919 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
22920 making @var{group} the current group.
22922 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
22925 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
22928 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
22931 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
22932 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
22933 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
22934 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
22935 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
22936 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
22937 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
22938 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
22941 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
22942 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
22943 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
22947 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
22949 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
22950 a no-op on most back ends.
22952 There should be no data returned.
22955 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
22957 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
22960 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
22963 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
22964 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
22967 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
22968 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
22971 active-file = *active-line
22972 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
22974 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
22977 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
22978 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
22979 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
22982 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
22984 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
22985 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
22986 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
22987 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
22988 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
22989 clear if the posting could not be completed.
22991 There should be no result data from this function.
22996 @node Optional Back End Functions
22997 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
23001 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
23003 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
23004 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
23005 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
23007 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
23008 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
23009 former is in the same format as the data from
23010 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
23011 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
23014 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
23018 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
23020 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
23021 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
23022 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
23023 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
23024 should return the (altered) group info.
23026 There should be no result data from this function.
23029 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
23031 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
23032 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
23033 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
23034 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
23035 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
23036 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
23037 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
23038 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
23040 There should be no result data from this function.
23043 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
23045 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
23046 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
23047 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
23048 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
23049 propagate the mark information to the server.
23051 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
23054 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
23057 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
23058 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
23059 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
23060 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
23061 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
23062 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
23063 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
23064 possible, not limit itself to these.
23066 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
23067 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
23068 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
23069 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
23071 An example action list:
23074 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
23075 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
23076 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
23079 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
23080 mark on (currently not used for anything).
23082 There should be no result data from this function.
23084 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
23086 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
23087 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
23088 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
23089 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
23090 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
23092 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
23093 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
23094 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
23097 There should be no result data from this function.
23100 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
23102 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
23103 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
23104 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
23105 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
23106 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
23107 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
23108 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
23110 There should be no result data from this function.
23113 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
23115 The result data from this function should be a description of
23119 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
23121 description = <text>
23124 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
23126 The result data from this function should be the description of all
23127 groups available on the server.
23130 description-buffer = *description-line
23134 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
23136 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
23137 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
23138 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
23139 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
23140 in the active buffer format.
23142 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
23143 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
23144 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
23145 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
23146 many groups, so nnml and the like are probably safe. But for back ends
23147 like nntp, where the groups have been created by the server, it is quite
23148 likely that there can be many groups.
23151 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
23153 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
23155 There should be no return data.
23158 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
23160 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
23161 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
23162 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
23163 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
23164 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
23167 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
23170 There should be no result data returned.
23173 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
23176 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
23177 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
23179 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
23180 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
23181 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
23182 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
23183 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
23184 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
23186 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
23187 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
23190 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23191 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23193 There should be no data returned.
23196 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
23198 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
23199 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
23200 this function in short order.
23202 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23203 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23205 There should be no data returned.
23208 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
23210 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
23211 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
23213 There should be no data returned.
23216 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
23218 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
23219 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
23220 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
23222 There should be no data returned.
23225 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
23227 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
23228 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
23230 There should be no data returned.
23235 @node Error Messaging
23236 @subsubsection Error Messaging
23238 @findex nnheader-report
23239 @findex nnheader-get-report
23240 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
23241 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
23242 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
23243 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
23244 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
23245 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
23248 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
23250 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
23253 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
23254 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
23255 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
23256 takes one argument---the server symbol.
23258 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
23259 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
23260 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
23263 @node Writing New Back Ends
23264 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
23266 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
23267 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
23268 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
23269 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
23270 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
23273 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
23274 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
23275 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
23277 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
23278 package called @code{nnoo}.
23280 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
23281 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
23287 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
23288 parameters. For instance:
23291 (nnoo-declare nndir
23295 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
23296 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
23299 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
23300 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
23301 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
23303 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
23304 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
23305 a function in those back ends.
23308 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23309 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23310 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23313 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
23314 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
23315 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
23317 @item nnoo-define-basics
23318 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
23322 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23326 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
23327 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
23328 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
23330 @item nnoo-map-functions
23331 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
23332 functions from the parent back ends.
23335 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23336 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23337 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
23340 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
23341 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
23342 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
23343 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
23346 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
23347 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
23348 haven't already been defined.
23354 nnmh-request-newgroups)
23358 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
23359 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
23360 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
23365 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
23368 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
23369 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
23373 (require 'nnheader)
23377 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
23379 (nnoo-declare nndir
23382 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23383 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23384 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23386 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
23387 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
23390 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
23392 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
23393 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
23394 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
23396 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
23397 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
23399 ;;; Interface functions.
23401 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23403 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
23404 (setq nndir-directory
23405 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
23407 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
23408 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
23409 (push `(nndir-current-group
23410 ,(file-name-nondirectory
23411 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23413 (push `(nndir-top-directory
23414 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23416 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
23418 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23419 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23420 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23421 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
23422 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
23426 nnmh-status-message
23428 nnmh-request-newgroups))
23434 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23435 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23437 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
23438 @findex gnus-declare-backend
23439 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
23440 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
23441 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
23443 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
23444 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
23449 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
23452 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
23454 The abilities can be:
23458 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
23460 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
23462 This back end supports both mail and news.
23464 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
23467 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
23468 articles and groups.
23470 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
23471 true for almost all back ends.
23472 @item prompt-address
23473 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
23474 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
23475 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
23479 @node Mail-like Back Ends
23480 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
23482 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
23483 back ends is the heavy dependence by the mail back ends on common
23484 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
23485 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
23488 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
23489 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
23490 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
23493 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
23494 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
23497 This function takes four parameters.
23501 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
23504 @item exit-function
23505 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
23507 @item temp-directory
23508 Where the temporary files should be stored.
23511 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
23512 performed for one group only.
23515 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
23516 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
23517 find the article number assigned to this article.
23519 The function also uses the following variables:
23520 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
23521 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
23522 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
23523 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
23527 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
23528 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
23532 @node Score File Syntax
23533 @subsection Score File Syntax
23535 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
23536 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
23537 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
23539 Here's a typical score file:
23543 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
23550 BNF definition of a score file:
23553 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
23554 element = rule / atom
23555 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
23556 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
23557 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
23558 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
23560 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
23561 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
23562 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
23563 date-header = "date"
23564 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23565 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23566 score = "nil" / <integer>
23567 date = "nil" / <natural number>
23568 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
23569 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
23570 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
23571 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
23572 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23573 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23574 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
23575 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23576 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
23577 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
23578 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
23579 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
23580 exclude-files / read-only / touched
23581 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
23582 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
23583 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
23584 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
23585 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
23586 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
23587 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
23588 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
23589 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
23590 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
23591 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
23592 eval = "eval" space <form>
23593 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
23596 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
23599 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
23600 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
23601 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
23602 one looong line, then that's ok.
23604 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
23605 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23609 @subsection Headers
23611 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
23612 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
23613 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
23614 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
23616 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
23617 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
23618 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
23619 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
23620 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
23621 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
23622 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
23624 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
23625 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
23626 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
23627 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
23628 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
23630 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
23631 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
23637 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
23638 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
23640 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
23641 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
23642 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
23643 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
23645 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
23649 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
23652 is transformed into
23655 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
23658 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
23659 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
23662 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
23665 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
23666 is slightly tricky:
23669 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
23675 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
23678 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
23684 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
23691 and is equal to the previous range.
23693 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
23694 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
23695 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
23699 range = simple-range / normal-range
23700 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
23701 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
23702 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
23703 number *[ " " contents ]
23706 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
23707 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
23708 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
23709 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
23710 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
23715 @subsection Group Info
23717 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
23718 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
23719 describes the group.
23721 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
23722 second is a more complex one:
23725 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
23727 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
23728 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
23730 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
23733 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
23734 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
23735 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
23736 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
23737 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
23738 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
23739 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
23740 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
23741 this section is about.
23743 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
23744 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
23745 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
23747 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
23750 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
23751 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
23752 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23753 group = quote <string> quote
23754 ralevel = rank / level
23755 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23756 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
23757 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23759 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
23760 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
23761 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
23762 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
23765 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
23766 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
23769 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
23770 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
23773 @item gnus-info-group
23774 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
23775 @findex gnus-info-group
23776 @findex gnus-info-set-group
23777 Get/set the group name.
23779 @item gnus-info-rank
23780 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
23781 @findex gnus-info-rank
23782 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
23783 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
23785 @item gnus-info-level
23786 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
23787 @findex gnus-info-level
23788 @findex gnus-info-set-level
23789 Get/set the group level.
23791 @item gnus-info-score
23792 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
23793 @findex gnus-info-score
23794 @findex gnus-info-set-score
23795 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
23797 @item gnus-info-read
23798 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
23799 @findex gnus-info-read
23800 @findex gnus-info-set-read
23801 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
23803 @item gnus-info-marks
23804 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
23805 @findex gnus-info-marks
23806 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
23807 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
23809 @item gnus-info-method
23810 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
23811 @findex gnus-info-method
23812 @findex gnus-info-set-method
23813 Get/set the group select method.
23815 @item gnus-info-params
23816 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
23817 @findex gnus-info-params
23818 @findex gnus-info-set-params
23819 Get/set the group parameters.
23822 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
23823 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
23825 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
23826 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
23827 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
23828 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
23831 @node Extended Interactive
23832 @subsection Extended Interactive
23833 @cindex interactive
23834 @findex gnus-interactive
23836 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
23837 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
23838 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
23841 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
23842 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
23847 The best thing to do would have been to implement
23848 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
23849 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
23850 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
23851 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
23852 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
23853 @code{interactive}.
23855 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
23860 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
23861 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
23865 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
23866 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
23867 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
23870 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
23874 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
23878 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
23884 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
23885 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
23889 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
23890 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
23891 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
23893 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
23894 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
23895 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
23896 Gnus, that's very useful.
23898 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
23899 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
23900 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
23901 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
23902 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
23903 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
23904 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
23905 following function:
23908 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
23912 (,function ,@@args))
23916 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
23917 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
23918 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
23921 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
23922 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
23923 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
23925 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
23926 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
23927 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
23930 @node Various File Formats
23931 @subsection Various File Formats
23934 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
23935 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
23939 @node Active File Format
23940 @subsubsection Active File Format
23942 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
23943 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
23946 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
23949 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
23950 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
23951 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
23952 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
23953 no.general 1000 900 y
23956 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
23959 active = *group-line
23960 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
23961 group = <non-white-space string>
23963 high-number = <non-negative integer>
23964 low-number = <positive integer>
23965 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
23968 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
23969 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
23972 @node Newsgroups File Format
23973 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
23975 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
23976 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
23977 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
23980 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
23981 Here's the definition:
23985 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
23986 group = <non-white-space string>
23988 description = <string>
23993 @node Emacs for Heathens
23994 @section Emacs for Heathens
23996 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
23997 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
23998 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
23999 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
24000 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
24001 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
24002 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
24006 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
24007 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
24012 @subsection Keystrokes
24016 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
24019 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
24022 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
24023 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
24024 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
24025 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
24026 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
24027 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
24029 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
24030 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
24031 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
24032 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
24033 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
24034 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
24035 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
24037 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
24038 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
24039 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
24040 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
24041 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
24042 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
24043 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
24045 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
24046 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
24047 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
24048 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
24049 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
24055 @subsection Emacs Lisp
24057 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
24058 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
24059 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
24060 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
24062 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
24063 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
24064 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
24065 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
24066 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
24067 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
24068 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
24071 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
24072 write the following:
24075 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
24078 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
24079 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
24080 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
24083 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
24084 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
24085 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
24086 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
24087 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
24089 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
24090 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
24091 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
24095 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
24099 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
24102 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
24103 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
24106 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
24109 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
24110 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
24113 @include gnus-faq.texi
24133 @c Local Variables:
24135 @c coding: iso-8859-1
24137 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
24138 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
24139 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
24140 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
24141 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref