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
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
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
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.
2109 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2113 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2114 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2116 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2117 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2118 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2119 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2123 @node Subscription Commands
2124 @section Subscription Commands
2125 @cindex subscription
2133 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2134 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2135 Toggle subscription to the current group
2136 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2142 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2143 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2144 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2145 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2151 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2152 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2153 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2159 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2160 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2163 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2164 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2165 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2166 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2167 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2173 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2174 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2178 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2179 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2182 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2183 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2184 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2185 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2186 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2187 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2188 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2189 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2190 @file{.newsrc} file.
2194 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2204 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2205 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2206 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2207 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2208 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2209 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2214 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2215 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2216 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2220 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2221 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2222 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2224 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2225 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2226 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2227 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2228 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2229 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2236 @section Group Levels
2240 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2241 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2242 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2243 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2244 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2246 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2252 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2253 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2254 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2255 prompted for a level.
2258 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2259 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2260 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2261 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2262 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2263 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2264 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2265 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2266 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2267 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2268 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2269 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2270 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2271 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2272 reasons of efficiency.
2274 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2275 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2277 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2278 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2279 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2280 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2281 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2282 groups are hidden, in a way.
2284 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2285 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2286 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2287 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2288 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2289 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2291 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2292 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2293 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2294 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2295 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2296 list of killed groups.)
2298 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2299 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2300 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2302 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2303 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2304 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2305 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2306 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2307 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2308 relevant valid ranges.
2310 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2311 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2312 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2313 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2314 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2315 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2318 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2319 one with the best level.
2321 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2322 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2323 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2326 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2327 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2328 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2329 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2332 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2333 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2334 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2335 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2337 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2338 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2339 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2340 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2341 to 5. The default is 6.
2345 @section Group Score
2350 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2351 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2352 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2355 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2356 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2357 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2358 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2359 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2360 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2361 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2362 least significant part.))
2364 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2365 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2366 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2367 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2368 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2369 action after each summary exit, you can add
2370 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2371 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2372 slow things down somewhat.
2375 @node Marking Groups
2376 @section Marking Groups
2377 @cindex marking groups
2379 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2380 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2381 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2382 bidding on those groups.
2384 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2385 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2386 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2394 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2395 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2401 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2402 Remove the mark from the current group
2403 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2407 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2408 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2412 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2413 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2417 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2418 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2422 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2423 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2424 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2427 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2429 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2430 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2431 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2432 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2433 the command to be executed.
2436 @node Foreign Groups
2437 @section Foreign Groups
2438 @cindex foreign groups
2440 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2441 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2442 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2443 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2450 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2451 @cindex making groups
2452 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2453 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2454 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2458 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2459 @cindex renaming groups
2460 Rename the current group to something else
2461 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2462 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2468 @findex gnus-group-customize
2469 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2473 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2474 @cindex renaming groups
2475 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2476 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2480 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2481 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2482 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2486 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2487 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2488 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2492 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2494 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2495 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2500 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2501 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2505 @cindex (ding) archive
2506 @cindex archive group
2507 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2508 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2509 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2510 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2511 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2512 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2513 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2517 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2519 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2520 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2521 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2522 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2526 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2528 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2529 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2530 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2534 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2535 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2537 Make a group based on some file or other
2538 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2539 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2540 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2541 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2542 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2543 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2544 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2545 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2546 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2550 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2551 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2552 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2553 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2557 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2562 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2563 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2564 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2565 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2566 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2567 @xref{Web Searches}.
2569 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2570 to a particular group by using a match string like
2571 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2574 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2575 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2576 This function will delete the current group
2577 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2578 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2579 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2580 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2581 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2585 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2586 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2587 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2591 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2592 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2593 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2596 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2599 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2600 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2601 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2602 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2603 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2604 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2608 @node Group Parameters
2609 @section Group Parameters
2610 @cindex group parameters
2612 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2613 Here's an example group parameter list:
2616 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2620 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2621 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2622 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2623 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2625 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2626 is an alist of regexps and values.
2628 The following group parameters can be used:
2633 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2636 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2639 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2640 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2641 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2642 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2643 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2645 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2646 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2647 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2648 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2649 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2650 list address instead.
2652 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2656 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2659 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2662 It is totally ignored
2663 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2664 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2666 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2667 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2668 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2669 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2670 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2672 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2673 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2674 sending the message.
2676 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2677 @cindex Mail List Groups
2678 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2679 entering summary buffer.
2681 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2685 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2686 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2687 of whether it has any unread articles.
2689 @item broken-reply-to
2690 @cindex broken-reply-to
2691 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2692 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2693 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2694 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2695 broken behavior. So there!
2699 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2700 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2704 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2705 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2706 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2711 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2712 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2713 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2714 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2715 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2716 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2717 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2721 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2722 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2723 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2725 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2728 @cindex total-expire
2729 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2730 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2731 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2732 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2735 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2739 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2740 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2741 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2742 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2743 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2744 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2747 @cindex score file group parameter
2748 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2749 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2750 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2753 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2754 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2755 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2756 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2759 @cindex admin-address
2760 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2761 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2762 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2763 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2767 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2768 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2772 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2775 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2776 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2779 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2783 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2785 Here are some examples:
2789 Display only read articles.
2792 Display everything except expirable articles.
2794 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2795 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2799 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2800 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2801 @code{read}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2802 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2803 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{seen} and @code{recent}.
2807 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2808 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2809 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2813 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2814 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2815 gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2820 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2821 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2822 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2824 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2826 @item ignored-charsets
2827 @cindex ignored-charset
2828 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2829 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2830 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2832 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2835 @cindex posting-style
2836 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2837 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2838 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2839 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2840 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2842 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2843 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2844 like this in the group parameters:
2849 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2854 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2855 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2859 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2860 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2861 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2862 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2863 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2867 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2868 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2869 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2870 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2872 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2873 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2874 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2875 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2878 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2879 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2883 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2886 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2887 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2888 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2889 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2890 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2891 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2892 @code{eval}ed there.
2894 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2895 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2896 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2897 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2898 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2902 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2903 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2904 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2905 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2906 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2908 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2909 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2913 (setq gnus-parameters
2915 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2916 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2917 (gnus-summary-line-format
2918 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2922 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2926 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2930 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2933 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2934 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2937 @node Listing Groups
2938 @section Listing Groups
2939 @cindex group listing
2941 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2949 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2950 List all groups that have unread articles
2951 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2952 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2953 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2954 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2961 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2962 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2963 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2964 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2965 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2966 unsubscribed groups).
2970 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2971 List all unread groups on a specific level
2972 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2973 with no unread articles.
2977 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2978 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2979 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2980 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2985 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2986 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2990 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2991 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2992 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2996 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2997 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3001 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3002 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3003 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3004 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3005 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3006 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3007 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3008 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3012 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3013 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3014 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3018 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3019 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3020 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3024 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3025 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3029 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3030 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3034 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3035 List groups limited within the current selection
3036 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3040 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3041 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3045 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3046 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3050 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3051 @cindex visible group parameter
3052 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3053 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3054 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3055 get the same effect.
3057 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3058 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3059 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3060 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3061 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3064 @node Sorting Groups
3065 @section Sorting Groups
3066 @cindex sorting groups
3068 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3069 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3070 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3071 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3072 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3073 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3078 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3079 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3080 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3082 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3083 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3084 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3086 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3087 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3088 Sort by group level.
3090 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3091 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3092 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3094 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3095 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3096 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3097 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3099 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3100 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3101 Sort by number of unread articles.
3103 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3104 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3105 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3107 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3108 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3109 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3114 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3115 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3119 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3120 some sorting criteria:
3124 @kindex G S a (Group)
3125 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3126 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3127 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3130 @kindex G S u (Group)
3131 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3132 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3133 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3136 @kindex G S l (Group)
3137 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3138 Sort the group buffer by group level
3139 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3142 @kindex G S v (Group)
3143 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3144 Sort the group buffer by group score
3145 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3148 @kindex G S r (Group)
3149 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3150 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3151 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3154 @kindex G S m (Group)
3155 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3156 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3157 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3161 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3162 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3164 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3165 commands will sort in reverse order.
3167 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3171 @kindex G P a (Group)
3172 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3173 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3174 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3177 @kindex G P u (Group)
3178 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3179 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3180 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3183 @kindex G P l (Group)
3184 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3185 Sort the groups by group level
3186 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3189 @kindex G P v (Group)
3190 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3191 Sort the groups by group score
3192 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3195 @kindex G P r (Group)
3196 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3197 Sort the groups by group rank
3198 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3201 @kindex G P m (Group)
3202 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3203 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3204 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3208 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3212 @node Group Maintenance
3213 @section Group Maintenance
3214 @cindex bogus groups
3219 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3220 Find bogus groups and delete them
3221 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3225 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3226 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3227 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3228 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3229 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3233 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3234 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3235 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3236 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3237 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3238 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3241 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3242 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3243 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3244 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3249 @node Browse Foreign Server
3250 @section Browse Foreign Server
3251 @cindex foreign servers
3252 @cindex browsing servers
3257 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3258 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3259 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3260 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3263 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3264 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3265 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3266 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3268 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3273 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3274 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3278 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3279 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3282 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3283 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3284 Enter the current group and display the first article
3285 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3288 @kindex RET (Browse)
3289 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3290 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3294 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3295 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3296 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3302 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3303 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3307 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3308 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3309 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3314 @section Exiting gnus
3315 @cindex exiting gnus
3317 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3322 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3323 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3324 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3325 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3329 @findex gnus-group-exit
3330 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3331 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3335 @findex gnus-group-quit
3336 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3337 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3340 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3341 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3342 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3343 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3344 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3349 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3350 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3351 trying to customize meta-variables.
3356 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3357 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3358 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3364 @section Group Topics
3367 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3368 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3369 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3370 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3371 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3372 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3376 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3377 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3388 2: alt.religion.emacs
3391 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3393 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3394 13: comp.sources.unix
3397 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3399 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3400 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3401 is a toggling command.)
3403 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3404 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3405 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3406 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3409 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3410 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3411 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3414 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3418 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3419 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3420 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3421 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3422 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3426 @node Topic Commands
3427 @subsection Topic Commands
3428 @cindex topic commands
3430 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3431 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3432 definitions slightly.
3434 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3435 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3436 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3437 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3438 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3439 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3441 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3448 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3449 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3450 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3454 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3456 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3457 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3458 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3459 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3462 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3463 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3464 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3465 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3469 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3470 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3471 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3472 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3478 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3479 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3480 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3484 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3485 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3486 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3489 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3490 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3491 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3492 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3493 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3495 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3496 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3500 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3501 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3508 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3510 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3511 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3512 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3513 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3514 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3515 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3519 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3525 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3526 Move the current group to some other topic
3527 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3528 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3532 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3533 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3537 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3538 Copy the current group to some other topic
3539 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3540 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3544 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3545 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3546 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3550 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3551 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3552 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3556 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3557 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3558 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3559 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3560 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3561 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3562 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3565 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3566 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3570 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3571 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3572 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3576 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3577 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3578 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3582 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3583 Toggle hiding empty topics
3584 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3588 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3589 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3590 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3593 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3594 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3595 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3596 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3599 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3600 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3601 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3602 expiry process (if any)
3603 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3607 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3608 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3611 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3612 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3613 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3617 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3618 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3619 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3622 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3623 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3624 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3627 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3628 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3629 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3633 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3634 @cindex group parameters
3635 @cindex topic parameters
3637 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3638 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3643 @node Topic Variables
3644 @subsection Topic Variables
3645 @cindex topic variables
3647 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3648 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3650 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3651 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3652 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3665 Number of groups in the topic.
3667 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3669 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3672 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3673 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3674 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3677 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3678 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3680 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3681 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3682 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3686 @subsection Topic Sorting
3687 @cindex topic sorting
3689 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3695 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3696 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3697 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3698 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3701 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3702 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3703 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3704 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3707 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3708 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3709 Sort the current topic by group level
3710 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3713 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3714 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3715 Sort the current topic by group score
3716 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3719 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3720 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3721 Sort the current topic by group rank
3722 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3725 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3726 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3727 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3728 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3731 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3732 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3733 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3734 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3738 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3741 @node Topic Topology
3742 @subsection Topic Topology
3743 @cindex topic topology
3746 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3752 2: alt.religion.emacs
3755 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3757 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3758 13: comp.sources.unix
3761 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3762 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3763 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3768 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3769 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3773 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3774 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3775 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3776 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3777 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3778 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3780 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3781 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3782 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3785 @node Topic Parameters
3786 @subsection Topic Parameters
3787 @cindex topic parameters
3789 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3790 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3791 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3793 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3798 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3799 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3800 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3803 @item subscribe-level
3804 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3805 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3806 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3810 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3811 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3812 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3813 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3819 2: alt.religion.emacs
3823 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3825 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3826 13: comp.sources.unix
3830 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3831 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3832 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3833 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3834 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3835 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3837 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3838 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3839 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3840 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3841 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3843 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3844 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3845 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3846 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3847 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3848 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3849 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3850 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3853 @node Misc Group Stuff
3854 @section Misc Group Stuff
3857 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3858 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3859 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3860 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3861 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3868 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3869 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3870 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3874 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3875 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3876 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3877 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3878 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3879 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3880 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3884 @findex gnus-group-mail
3885 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3886 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3887 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3888 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3892 @findex gnus-group-news
3893 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3894 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3895 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3897 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3898 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3899 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3900 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3901 for this to work though.
3905 Variables for the group buffer:
3909 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3910 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3911 is called after the group buffer has been
3914 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3915 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3916 is called after the group buffer is
3917 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3920 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3921 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3922 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3923 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3925 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3926 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3927 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3928 whether they are empty or not.
3930 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3931 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3932 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3933 non-ASCII group names.
3937 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3938 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3941 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3942 @cindex UTF-8 group names
3943 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3944 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
3945 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
3946 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
3950 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3951 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3956 @node Scanning New Messages
3957 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3958 @cindex new messages
3959 @cindex scanning new news
3965 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3966 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3967 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3968 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3969 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3970 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3975 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3976 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3977 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3978 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3979 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3980 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3981 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3983 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3984 @cindex activating groups
3986 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3987 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3992 @findex gnus-group-restart
3993 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3994 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3995 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
3999 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4000 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4002 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4003 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4007 @node Group Information
4008 @subsection Group Information
4009 @cindex group information
4010 @cindex information on groups
4017 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4018 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4021 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4022 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4023 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4024 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4025 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4026 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4027 for fetching the file.
4029 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
4030 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4034 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4036 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4037 @cindex describing groups
4038 @cindex group description
4039 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4040 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4041 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4045 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4046 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4047 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4054 @findex gnus-version
4055 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4059 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4060 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4063 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4066 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4067 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4071 @node Group Timestamp
4072 @subsection Group Timestamp
4074 @cindex group timestamps
4076 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
4077 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4078 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4081 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4084 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4086 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4087 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4090 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4091 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4094 This will result in lines looking like:
4097 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4098 0: custom 19961002T012713
4101 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4102 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4106 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4107 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4110 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4111 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4115 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4116 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %Ud\n")
4117 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4118 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4119 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)))
4124 @subsection File Commands
4125 @cindex file commands
4131 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4132 @vindex gnus-init-file
4133 @cindex reading init file
4134 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4135 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4139 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4140 @cindex saving .newsrc
4141 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4142 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4143 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4146 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4147 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4148 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4153 @node Sieve Commands
4154 @subsection Sieve Commands
4155 @cindex group sieve commands
4157 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4158 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4159 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4160 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4161 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4163 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4164 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4165 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4166 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4167 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4168 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4169 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4170 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4171 regenerate the Sieve script.
4173 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4174 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4175 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4176 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4177 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4178 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4179 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4180 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4181 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4182 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4185 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4186 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4191 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4197 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4198 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4199 @cindex generating sieve script
4200 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4201 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4205 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4206 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4207 @cindex updating sieve script
4208 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4209 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4210 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4215 @node Summary Buffer
4216 @chapter Summary Buffer
4217 @cindex summary buffer
4219 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4220 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4222 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4223 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4225 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4228 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4229 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4230 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4231 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4232 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4233 * Delayed Articles::
4234 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4235 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4236 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4237 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4238 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4239 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4240 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4241 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4242 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4243 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4244 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4245 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4246 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4247 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4248 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4249 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4250 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4251 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4252 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4253 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4254 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4255 or reselecting the current group.
4256 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4257 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4258 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4259 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4263 @node Summary Buffer Format
4264 @section Summary Buffer Format
4265 @cindex summary buffer format
4269 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4270 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4271 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4277 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4278 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4279 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4280 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4283 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4284 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4285 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4286 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4287 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4288 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
4289 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4290 fast, and too simplistic solution;
4291 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
4292 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
4293 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
4294 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
4295 other function instead:
4298 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4299 'mail-extract-address-components)
4302 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4303 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4304 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4305 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4308 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4309 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4311 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4312 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4313 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4314 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4315 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4317 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4318 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4319 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4320 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4321 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4322 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4324 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%) %s\n}.
4326 The following format specification characters and extended format
4327 specification(s) are understood:
4333 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4334 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4336 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4337 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4338 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4340 Full @code{From} header.
4342 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4344 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
4345 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
4347 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4348 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4349 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4350 may be more thorough.
4352 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4355 Number of lines in the article.
4357 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4358 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4360 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4362 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4365 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4366 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4368 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4369 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4371 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4372 for adopted articles.
4374 One space for each thread level.
4376 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4378 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4381 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4382 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4383 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4386 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4388 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4389 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4390 default level. If the difference between
4391 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4392 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4400 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4402 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4408 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4409 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4411 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4412 article has any children.
4418 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4419 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4421 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4422 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4423 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4424 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4425 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4426 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4429 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4430 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4431 There can only be one such area.
4433 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4434 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4435 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4436 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4437 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4438 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4440 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4441 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4443 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4446 @node To From Newsgroups
4447 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4451 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4452 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4453 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4454 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4455 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4459 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4460 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4461 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4465 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4466 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4469 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4470 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4473 @findex gnus-extra-header
4474 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4475 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4476 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4479 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4483 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4484 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4485 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4486 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4487 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4488 headers are used instead.
4492 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4493 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4494 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4495 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4498 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4499 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4500 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4501 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4503 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4507 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4509 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4510 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4511 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4512 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4516 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4519 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4520 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4527 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4528 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4531 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4532 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4534 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4535 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4536 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4537 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4539 Here are the elements you can play with:
4545 Unprefixed group name.
4547 Current article number.
4549 Current article score.
4553 Number of unread articles in this group.
4555 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4558 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4559 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4560 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4561 and no unselected ones.
4563 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4564 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4566 Subject of the current article.
4568 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4570 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4572 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4574 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4576 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4578 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4582 @node Summary Highlighting
4583 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4587 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4588 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4589 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4590 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4591 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4593 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4594 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4595 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4596 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4598 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4599 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4600 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4601 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4603 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4604 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4605 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4606 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4607 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4608 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4611 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4612 ((> score default) . bold))
4614 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4615 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4619 @node Summary Maneuvering
4620 @section Summary Maneuvering
4621 @cindex summary movement
4623 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4624 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4626 None of these commands select articles.
4631 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4632 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4633 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4634 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4635 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4639 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4640 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4641 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4642 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4643 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4646 @kindex G g (Summary)
4647 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4648 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4649 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4652 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4653 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4654 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4655 to the group buffer.
4657 Variables related to summary movement:
4661 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4662 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4663 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4664 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4665 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4666 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4667 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4668 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4669 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
4670 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4671 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4672 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4673 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4674 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4676 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4677 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4678 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4679 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4680 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4681 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4682 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4684 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4686 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4687 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4688 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4689 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4690 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4692 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4693 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4694 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4695 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4696 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4697 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4698 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4699 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4702 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4703 the given number of lines from the top.
4708 @node Choosing Articles
4709 @section Choosing Articles
4710 @cindex selecting articles
4713 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4714 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4718 @node Choosing Commands
4719 @subsection Choosing Commands
4721 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4722 and they all select and display an article.
4724 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4725 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4729 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4730 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4731 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4732 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4737 @kindex G n (Summary)
4738 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4739 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4740 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4745 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4746 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4747 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4752 @kindex G N (Summary)
4753 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4754 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4759 @kindex G P (Summary)
4760 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4761 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4764 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4765 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4766 Go to the next article with the same subject
4767 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4770 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4771 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4772 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4773 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4777 @kindex G f (Summary)
4779 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4780 Go to the first unread article
4781 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4785 @kindex G b (Summary)
4787 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4788 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4789 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4790 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4795 @kindex G l (Summary)
4796 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4797 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4800 @kindex G o (Summary)
4801 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4803 @cindex article history
4804 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4805 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4806 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4807 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4808 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4809 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4814 @kindex G j (Summary)
4815 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4816 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4817 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4822 @node Choosing Variables
4823 @subsection Choosing Variables
4825 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4828 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4829 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4830 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4831 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4832 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4833 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4835 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4836 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4837 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4838 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4840 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4841 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4842 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4843 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4844 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4845 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4846 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4847 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4848 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4849 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4850 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4851 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4852 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4853 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4858 @node Paging the Article
4859 @section Scrolling the Article
4860 @cindex article scrolling
4865 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4866 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4867 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4868 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4869 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4872 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4873 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4874 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4877 @kindex RET (Summary)
4878 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4879 Scroll the current article one line forward
4880 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4883 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4884 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4885 Scroll the current article one line backward
4886 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4890 @kindex A g (Summary)
4892 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4893 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4894 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4895 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4896 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4897 the way it came from the server.
4899 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4900 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4901 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4904 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4909 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4914 @kindex A < (Summary)
4915 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4916 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4917 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4922 @kindex A > (Summary)
4923 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4924 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4928 @kindex A s (Summary)
4930 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4931 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4932 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4936 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4937 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4942 @node Reply Followup and Post
4943 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4946 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4947 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4948 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4949 * Canceling and Superseding::
4953 @node Summary Mail Commands
4954 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4956 @cindex composing mail
4958 Commands for composing a mail message:
4964 @kindex S r (Summary)
4966 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4967 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4968 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4969 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4970 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4975 @kindex S R (Summary)
4976 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4977 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4978 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4979 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4980 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4983 @kindex S w (Summary)
4984 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4985 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4986 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4987 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4988 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4991 @kindex S W (Summary)
4992 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4993 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4994 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4995 the process/prefix convention.
4998 @kindex S v (Summary)
4999 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5000 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5001 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5002 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5003 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5004 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5008 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5009 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5010 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5011 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5012 Forward the current article to some other person
5013 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5014 headers of the forwarded article.
5019 @kindex S m (Summary)
5020 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5021 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5022 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5023 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5024 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5029 @kindex S i (Summary)
5030 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5031 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5032 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5033 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5035 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5036 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5037 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5038 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5039 for this to work though.
5042 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5043 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5044 @cindex bouncing mail
5045 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5046 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5047 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5048 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5049 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5050 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
5051 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5052 very well fail, though.
5055 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5056 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5057 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5058 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5059 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5060 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5061 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5062 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5063 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5064 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5066 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5067 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5068 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5069 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5070 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
5072 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5073 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5076 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5077 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
5078 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5079 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
5080 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5083 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5084 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5085 @cindex crossposting
5086 @cindex excessive crossposting
5087 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5088 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5090 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5091 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5092 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5093 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5094 command understands the process/prefix convention
5095 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5099 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5100 Manual}, for more information.
5103 @node Summary Post Commands
5104 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5106 @cindex composing news
5108 Commands for posting a news article:
5114 @kindex S p (Summary)
5115 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5116 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5117 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5118 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5119 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5124 @kindex S f (Summary)
5125 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5126 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5127 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5131 @kindex S F (Summary)
5133 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5134 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5135 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5136 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5137 process/prefix convention.
5140 @kindex S n (Summary)
5141 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5142 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5143 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5146 @kindex S N (Summary)
5147 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5148 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5149 message through mail and include the original message
5150 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5151 the process/prefix convention.
5154 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5155 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5156 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5157 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5158 headers of the forwarded article.
5161 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5162 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
5164 @cindex making digests
5165 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5166 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5167 process/prefix convention.
5170 @kindex S u (Summary)
5171 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5172 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5173 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5174 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5177 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5178 Manual}, for more information.
5181 @node Summary Message Commands
5182 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5186 @kindex S y (Summary)
5187 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5188 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5189 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5190 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5191 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5196 @node Canceling and Superseding
5197 @subsection Canceling Articles
5198 @cindex canceling articles
5199 @cindex superseding articles
5201 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5202 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5204 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5206 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5208 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5209 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5210 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5211 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5212 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5213 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5215 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5216 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5219 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5220 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5221 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5223 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5224 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5225 your original article.
5227 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5229 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5230 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5231 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5234 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5235 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5236 have posted almost the same article twice.
5238 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5239 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5240 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5241 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5242 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5243 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5244 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5245 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5246 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5247 canceled/superseded.
5249 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5251 @node Delayed Articles
5252 @section Delayed Articles
5253 @cindex delayed sending
5254 @cindex send delayed
5256 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5257 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5258 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5259 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5262 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5265 @findex gnus-delay-article
5266 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5267 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5268 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5269 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5273 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5274 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5275 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5276 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5279 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5280 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5281 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5284 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5285 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5286 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5287 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5288 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5289 that means a time tomorrow.
5292 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5293 couple of variables:
5296 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5297 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5298 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5299 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5301 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5302 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5303 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5304 formats described above.
5306 @item gnus-delay-group
5307 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5308 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5309 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5310 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5312 @item gnus-delay-header
5313 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5314 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5315 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5316 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5319 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5320 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5321 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5322 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5323 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5325 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5326 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5327 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5328 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5329 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5330 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5333 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5334 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5335 By default, this function installs the @kbd{C-c C-j} key binding in
5336 Message mode and @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5337 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts two optional arguments,
5338 @code{no-keymap} and @code{no-check}. If @code{no-keymap} is non-nil,
5339 the @kbd{C-c C-j} binding is not intalled. If @code{no-check} is
5340 non-nil, @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed.
5342 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to change the
5343 keymap but not to change @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. Presumably, you
5344 want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles. Just don't
5345 forget to set that up :-)
5349 @node Marking Articles
5350 @section Marking Articles
5351 @cindex article marking
5352 @cindex article ticking
5355 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5357 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5358 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5359 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5361 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5364 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5365 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5366 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5370 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5374 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5375 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5376 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5380 @node Unread Articles
5381 @subsection Unread Articles
5383 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5388 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5389 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5391 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5392 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5393 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5394 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5395 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5396 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5397 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5400 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5401 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5403 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5404 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5405 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5406 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5410 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5411 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5413 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5418 @subsection Read Articles
5419 @cindex expirable mark
5421 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5426 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5427 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5428 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5431 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5432 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5435 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5436 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5437 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5440 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5441 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5444 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5445 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5448 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5449 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5452 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5453 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5456 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5457 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5460 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5461 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5464 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5465 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5469 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5470 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5471 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5475 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5476 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5478 One more special mark, though:
5482 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5483 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5485 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5486 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5487 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5488 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5494 @subsection Other Marks
5495 @cindex process mark
5498 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5504 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5505 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5506 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5507 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5508 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5511 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5512 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5513 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5514 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5516 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5517 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5518 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5520 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5521 Articles that are ``recently'' arrived in the group will be marked
5522 with an @samp{N} in the second column (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Most
5523 back end doesn't support the mark, in which case it's not shown.
5526 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5527 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5528 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5531 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5532 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5533 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5534 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5537 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5538 Articles that according to the back end haven't been seen by the user
5539 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5540 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all back ends support this
5541 mark, in which case it simply never appear.
5544 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5545 Articles that haven't been seen by the user before are marked with a
5546 @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5549 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5550 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5551 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5552 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5553 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5556 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5557 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5558 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5559 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5560 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5561 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5565 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5566 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5567 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5569 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5570 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5571 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5575 @subsection Setting Marks
5576 @cindex setting marks
5578 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5583 @kindex M c (Summary)
5584 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5585 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5586 @cindex mark as unread
5587 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5588 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5594 @kindex M t (Summary)
5595 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5596 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5597 @xref{Article Caching}.
5602 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5603 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5604 Mark the current article as dormant
5605 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5609 @kindex M d (Summary)
5611 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5612 Mark the current article as read
5613 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5617 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5618 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5619 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5624 @kindex M k (Summary)
5625 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5626 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5627 and then select the next unread article
5628 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5632 @kindex M K (Summary)
5633 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5634 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5635 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5636 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5639 @kindex M C (Summary)
5640 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5641 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5642 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5645 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5646 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5647 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5648 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5651 @kindex M H (Summary)
5652 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5653 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5654 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5657 @kindex M h (Summary)
5658 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5659 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5660 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5663 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5664 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5665 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5666 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5669 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5670 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5671 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5672 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5676 @kindex M e (Summary)
5678 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5679 Mark the current article as expirable
5680 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5683 @kindex M b (Summary)
5684 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5685 Set a bookmark in the current article
5686 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5689 @kindex M B (Summary)
5690 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5691 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5692 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5695 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5696 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5697 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5698 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5701 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5702 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5703 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5704 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5707 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5708 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5709 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5710 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5711 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5714 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5715 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5716 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5717 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5718 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5719 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5720 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5721 The default is @code{t}.
5724 @node Generic Marking Commands
5725 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5727 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5728 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5729 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5730 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5731 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5734 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5735 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5738 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5739 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5740 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5741 to list in this manual.
5743 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5744 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5745 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5746 article, you could say something like:
5749 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5750 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5751 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5757 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5758 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5762 @node Setting Process Marks
5763 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5764 @cindex setting process marks
5771 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5772 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5773 Mark the current article with the process mark
5774 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5775 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5779 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5780 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5781 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5782 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5785 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5786 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5787 Remove the process mark from all articles
5788 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5791 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5792 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5793 Invert the list of process marked articles
5794 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5797 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5798 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5799 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5800 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5803 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5804 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5805 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5806 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5809 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5810 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5811 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5814 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5815 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5816 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5817 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5820 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5821 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5822 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5823 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5826 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5827 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5828 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5829 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5832 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5833 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5834 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5837 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5838 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5839 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5840 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5843 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5844 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5845 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5848 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5849 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5850 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5851 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5854 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5855 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5856 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5857 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5860 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5861 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5862 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5863 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5866 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5867 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5868 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5869 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5873 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5874 set process marks based on article body contents.
5881 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5882 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5883 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5886 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5887 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5888 additional articles.
5894 @kindex / / (Summary)
5895 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5896 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5897 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
5901 @kindex / a (Summary)
5902 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5903 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5904 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
5908 @kindex / x (Summary)
5909 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5910 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5911 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5912 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
5917 @kindex / u (Summary)
5919 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5920 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5921 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5922 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5923 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5926 @kindex / m (Summary)
5927 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5928 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5929 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5932 @kindex / t (Summary)
5933 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5934 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5935 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5936 articles younger than that number of days.
5939 @kindex / n (Summary)
5940 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5941 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5942 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5943 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5946 @kindex / w (Summary)
5947 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5948 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5949 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5953 @kindex / v (Summary)
5954 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5955 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5956 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5959 @kindex / p (Summary)
5960 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-parameter
5961 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
5962 group parameter predicate
5963 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-parameter}). See @pxref{Group
5964 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
5968 @kindex M S (Summary)
5969 @kindex / E (Summary)
5970 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5971 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5972 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5975 @kindex / D (Summary)
5976 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5977 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5978 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5981 @kindex / * (Summary)
5982 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5983 Include all cached articles in the limit
5984 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5987 @kindex / d (Summary)
5988 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5989 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5990 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5993 @kindex / M (Summary)
5994 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5995 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5998 @kindex / T (Summary)
5999 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6000 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6003 @kindex / c (Summary)
6004 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6005 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6006 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6009 @kindex / C (Summary)
6010 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6011 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6012 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6013 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6016 @kindex / N (Summary)
6017 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6018 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6019 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6022 @kindex / o (Summary)
6023 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6024 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6025 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6033 @cindex article threading
6035 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6036 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6037 hierarchical fashion.
6039 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6040 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6041 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6042 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6043 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6044 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6045 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6047 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6051 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6054 A tree-like article structure.
6057 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6060 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6061 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6062 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6063 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6064 called loose threads.
6066 @item thread gathering
6067 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6069 @item sparse threads
6070 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6071 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6077 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6078 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6082 @node Customizing Threading
6083 @subsection Customizing Threading
6084 @cindex customizing threading
6087 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6088 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6089 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6090 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6095 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6098 @cindex loose threads
6101 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6102 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6103 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6104 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6105 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6106 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6108 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
6109 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
6110 There are four possible values:
6114 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6115 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6116 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6117 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6118 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6123 @cindex adopting articles
6128 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6129 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6130 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6131 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6134 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6135 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6136 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6137 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6138 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6139 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6140 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6143 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6144 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6145 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6149 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6150 display them after one another.
6153 Don't gather loose threads.
6156 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6157 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6158 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6159 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
6160 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6161 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6162 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6163 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6164 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6165 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
6166 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6168 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6169 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
6170 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6173 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6174 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6175 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6176 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6177 simplification is used.
6179 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6180 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6181 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6182 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6184 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6186 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6192 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6193 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6194 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6195 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6200 (mapconcat 'identity
6201 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6203 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6206 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6209 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6210 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6211 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6212 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6213 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6214 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6216 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6219 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6220 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6221 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6223 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6224 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6227 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6228 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6229 Remove excessive whitespace.
6232 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6235 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6236 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6237 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6238 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6239 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6240 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6241 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6242 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6244 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6245 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6246 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6247 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6248 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6249 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6250 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6251 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6252 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6256 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6257 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6258 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6259 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6261 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6262 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6263 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6266 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6270 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6271 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6277 @node Filling In Threads
6278 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6281 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6282 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6283 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6284 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6285 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6286 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6287 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6288 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6289 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6290 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
6291 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
6292 expired by the server, there's not much gnus can do about that.
6294 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6295 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6296 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6298 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6299 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6300 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6301 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6302 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6303 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6304 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
6305 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6306 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
6307 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
6308 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6309 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
6310 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6311 @code{nil} by default.
6313 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6314 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6315 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6316 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6317 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6318 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6319 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6321 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6322 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6323 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6328 @node More Threading
6329 @subsubsection More Threading
6332 @item gnus-show-threads
6333 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6334 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6335 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6336 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6337 slower and more awkward.
6339 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6340 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6341 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6344 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6345 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6346 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6347 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6348 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6349 threads are expunged.
6351 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6352 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6353 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6356 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6357 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6358 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6359 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6360 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6361 result in a new thread.
6363 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6364 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6365 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6368 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6369 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6370 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6371 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6372 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6373 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6374 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6375 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6376 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6377 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6378 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6383 @node Low-Level Threading
6384 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6388 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6389 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6390 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
6391 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
6392 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
6393 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
6395 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6396 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6397 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6398 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6399 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6400 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6401 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6402 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6403 meaningful. Here's one example:
6406 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6408 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6409 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6411 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6413 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6420 @node Thread Commands
6421 @subsection Thread Commands
6422 @cindex thread commands
6428 @kindex T k (Summary)
6429 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6430 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6431 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6432 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6433 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6438 @kindex T l (Summary)
6439 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6440 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6441 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6442 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6445 @kindex T i (Summary)
6446 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6447 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6448 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6451 @kindex T # (Summary)
6452 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6453 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6454 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6457 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6458 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6459 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6460 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6463 @kindex T T (Summary)
6464 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6465 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6468 @kindex T s (Summary)
6469 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6470 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6471 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6474 @kindex T h (Summary)
6475 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6476 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6479 @kindex T S (Summary)
6480 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6481 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6484 @kindex T H (Summary)
6485 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6486 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6489 @kindex T t (Summary)
6490 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6491 Re-thread the current article's thread
6492 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6493 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6496 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6497 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6498 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6499 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6503 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6504 understand the numeric prefix.
6509 @kindex T n (Summary)
6511 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6513 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6514 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6515 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6518 @kindex T p (Summary)
6520 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6522 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6523 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6524 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6527 @kindex T d (Summary)
6528 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6529 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6532 @kindex T u (Summary)
6533 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6534 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6537 @kindex T o (Summary)
6538 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6539 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6542 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6543 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6544 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6545 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6546 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6547 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6548 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6549 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6550 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6551 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6552 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6553 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6557 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6558 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6560 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6561 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6562 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6563 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6564 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6565 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6566 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6567 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6568 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6569 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6570 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6571 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6573 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6574 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6575 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6576 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6577 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6578 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date} and
6579 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6581 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6582 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6583 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6585 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6586 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6587 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6588 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6589 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6590 ascending article order.
6592 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6593 by number, you could do something like:
6596 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6597 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6598 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6599 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6602 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6603 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6604 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6605 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6606 which the articles arrived.
6608 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6612 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6614 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6615 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6618 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6619 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6620 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6621 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6624 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6625 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6626 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6627 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6628 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6629 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6630 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6631 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6632 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6633 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6634 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6635 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6636 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6638 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6642 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6643 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6644 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6649 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6650 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6651 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6652 @cindex article pre-fetch
6655 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6656 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6657 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6658 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6659 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6661 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6662 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
6664 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6665 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6666 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6667 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6668 connection is blocked.
6670 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6671 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6672 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6673 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
6675 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6676 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6677 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6678 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6681 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6684 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6685 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6686 happen automatically.
6688 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6689 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6690 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6691 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6692 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6693 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6694 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6696 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6697 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6698 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6699 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6700 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6701 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6702 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6703 data structure as the only parameter.
6705 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6708 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6709 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6710 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6711 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6714 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6717 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6718 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
6719 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6721 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6722 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6723 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6724 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6728 Remove articles when they are read.
6731 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6734 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6736 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6737 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6738 @c from the next group.
6741 @node Article Caching
6742 @section Article Caching
6743 @cindex article caching
6746 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6747 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6748 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6749 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6750 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6752 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6754 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6755 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6756 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6757 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6758 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6759 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6760 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6761 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6763 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6764 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6765 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6766 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6767 as dormant, and don't worry.
6769 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6771 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6772 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6773 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6774 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6775 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6776 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6777 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6778 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6779 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6780 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6782 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6783 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6784 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6785 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6786 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6787 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6788 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6789 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6790 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6791 not then be downloaded by this command.
6793 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6794 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6795 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6796 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6797 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6798 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6800 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6801 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6802 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6803 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6804 variables, the group is not cached.
6806 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6807 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6808 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6809 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6810 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6811 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
6812 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6813 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6814 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6817 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
6818 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
6819 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
6820 where, isn't that cool?
6822 @node Persistent Articles
6823 @section Persistent Articles
6824 @cindex persistent articles
6826 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6827 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6828 useful in my opinion.
6830 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6831 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6832 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6833 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6834 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6835 the expiry going on at the news server.
6837 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6838 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6839 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6845 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6846 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6849 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6850 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6851 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6852 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6856 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6858 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6859 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6860 interested in persistent articles:
6863 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6867 @node Article Backlog
6868 @section Article Backlog
6870 @cindex article backlog
6872 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6873 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6874 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
6875 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6876 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6877 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6878 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
6879 increase memory usage some.
6881 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6882 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
6883 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6884 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
6885 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6886 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6887 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6889 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6892 @node Saving Articles
6893 @section Saving Articles
6894 @cindex saving articles
6896 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6897 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6898 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6899 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6900 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6902 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6903 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
6904 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6906 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6907 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6908 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6909 deleted before saving.
6915 @kindex O o (Summary)
6917 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6918 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6919 Save the current article using the default article saver
6920 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6923 @kindex O m (Summary)
6924 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6925 Save the current article in mail format
6926 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6929 @kindex O r (Summary)
6930 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6931 Save the current article in rmail format
6932 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6935 @kindex O f (Summary)
6936 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6937 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6938 Save the current article in plain file format
6939 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6942 @kindex O F (Summary)
6943 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6944 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6945 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6948 @kindex O b (Summary)
6949 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6950 Save the current article body in plain file format
6951 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6954 @kindex O h (Summary)
6955 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6956 Save the current article in mh folder format
6957 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6960 @kindex O v (Summary)
6961 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6962 Save the current article in a VM folder
6963 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6967 @kindex O p (Summary)
6969 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6970 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6971 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6974 @kindex O P (Summary)
6975 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
6976 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
6977 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
6978 external program Muttprint (see
6979 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
6980 options to use is controlled by the variable
6981 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
6985 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6986 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6987 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6988 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6989 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6990 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6991 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6992 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6993 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6994 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6995 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6996 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7000 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7001 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7002 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7003 functions below, or you can create your own.
7007 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7008 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7009 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7010 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7011 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7012 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7013 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7015 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7016 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7017 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7018 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7019 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7020 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7022 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7023 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7024 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7025 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7026 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7027 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7028 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7030 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7031 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7032 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7033 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7034 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7035 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7037 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7038 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7039 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7040 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7041 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7043 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7044 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7045 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7046 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7047 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7050 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7051 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7052 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7053 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7054 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7056 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7057 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7058 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7059 reader to use this setting.
7062 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7063 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7064 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7065 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7068 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7069 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7070 available functions that generate names:
7074 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7075 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7076 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7078 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7079 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7080 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7082 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7083 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7084 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7086 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7087 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7088 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7090 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7091 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7092 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7095 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7096 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7097 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7098 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7099 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7103 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7104 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7105 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7106 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7109 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7110 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7111 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7112 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7113 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7114 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7115 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7116 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7117 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7119 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7120 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7121 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7122 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7124 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7125 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7126 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7129 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7130 lots of mail groups called things like
7131 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7132 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7133 following will do just that:
7136 (defun my-save-name (group)
7137 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7138 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7140 (setq gnus-split-methods
7141 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7146 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7147 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7148 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7149 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7150 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7151 all the files in the top level directory
7152 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7153 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7154 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7155 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7157 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7158 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7159 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7160 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7161 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7164 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7168 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7169 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7170 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7173 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7174 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7175 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7176 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7179 @node Decoding Articles
7180 @section Decoding Articles
7181 @cindex decoding articles
7183 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7184 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7187 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7188 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7189 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7190 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7191 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7192 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7196 @cindex article series
7197 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7198 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7199 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7200 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7201 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7203 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7204 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7205 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7207 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
7208 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7209 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7211 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7212 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7213 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7216 @node Uuencoded Articles
7217 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7219 @cindex uuencoded articles
7224 @kindex X u (Summary)
7225 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7226 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7227 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7230 @kindex X U (Summary)
7231 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7232 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7233 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7236 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7237 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7238 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7241 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7242 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7243 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7244 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7248 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7249 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7250 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7251 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7252 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7254 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7255 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7256 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7257 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7260 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7261 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7262 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7263 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7264 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7265 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7269 @node Shell Archives
7270 @subsection Shell Archives
7272 @cindex shell archives
7273 @cindex shared articles
7275 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7276 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7277 some commands to deal with these:
7282 @kindex X s (Summary)
7283 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7284 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7287 @kindex X S (Summary)
7288 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7289 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7292 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7293 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7294 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7297 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7298 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7299 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7300 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7304 @node PostScript Files
7305 @subsection PostScript Files
7311 @kindex X p (Summary)
7312 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7313 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7316 @kindex X P (Summary)
7317 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7318 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7319 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7322 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7323 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7324 View the current PostScript series
7325 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7328 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7329 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7330 View and save the current PostScript series
7331 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7336 @subsection Other Files
7340 @kindex X o (Summary)
7341 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7342 Save the current series
7343 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7346 @kindex X b (Summary)
7347 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7348 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7349 doesn't really work yet.
7353 @node Decoding Variables
7354 @subsection Decoding Variables
7356 Adjective, not verb.
7359 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7360 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7361 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7365 @node Rule Variables
7366 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7367 @cindex rule variables
7369 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7370 variables are of the form
7373 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7380 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7381 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7383 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7384 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7387 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7388 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7391 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7392 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7393 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7394 user and default view rules.
7396 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7397 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7398 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7403 @node Other Decode Variables
7404 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7407 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7409 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7410 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7411 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7412 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7413 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7417 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7418 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7421 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7422 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7423 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7426 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7427 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7428 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7429 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7430 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7433 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7434 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7435 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7437 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7438 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7439 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7440 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7441 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7444 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7445 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7446 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7448 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7449 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7450 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7451 looking for files to display.
7453 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7454 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7455 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7458 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7459 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7460 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7463 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7464 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7465 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7468 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7469 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7470 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7473 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7474 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7475 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7476 decoded articles as unread.
7478 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7479 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7480 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7481 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7483 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7484 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7485 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7487 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7488 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7490 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7491 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7492 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7493 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7495 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7496 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7497 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7498 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7499 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7500 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7501 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7502 simply dropped them.
7507 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7508 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7512 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7513 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7514 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7515 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7516 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7517 for you when you post the article.
7519 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7520 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7521 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7522 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7524 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7525 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7526 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7527 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7528 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7529 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7530 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7532 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7533 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7534 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7535 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7536 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7537 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7538 Default is @code{t}.
7544 @subsection Viewing Files
7545 @cindex viewing files
7546 @cindex pseudo-articles
7548 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7549 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7550 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7551 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7552 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7553 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7554 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7556 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7557 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7558 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7559 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7561 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7562 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7563 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7565 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7566 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7567 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7568 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7569 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7571 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7572 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7573 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7574 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7575 a list of parameters to that command.
7577 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7578 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7579 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7581 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7582 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7583 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7586 @node Article Treatment
7587 @section Article Treatment
7589 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7590 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7591 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7592 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7593 these articles easier.
7596 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7597 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7598 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7599 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7600 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7601 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7602 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7603 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7604 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7605 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7609 @node Article Highlighting
7610 @subsection Article Highlighting
7611 @cindex highlighting
7613 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7614 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7619 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7620 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7621 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7622 Do much highlighting of the current article
7623 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7624 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7627 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7628 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7629 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7630 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7631 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7632 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7633 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7634 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7635 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7636 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7637 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7638 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7641 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7642 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7643 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7645 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7648 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7650 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7651 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7652 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7654 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7655 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7656 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7658 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7659 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7660 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7661 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7662 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7663 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7665 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7666 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7667 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7669 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7670 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7671 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7673 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7674 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7675 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7676 that it's a citation.
7678 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7679 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7680 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7682 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7683 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7684 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7686 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7687 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7688 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7689 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7695 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7696 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7697 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7698 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7699 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7700 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7701 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7702 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7707 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7710 @node Article Fontisizing
7711 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7713 @cindex article emphasis
7715 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7716 @kindex W e (Summary)
7717 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7718 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7719 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7720 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7722 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7723 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7724 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7725 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7726 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7727 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7728 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7729 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7733 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7734 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7735 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7744 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7745 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7746 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7747 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7748 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7749 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7750 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7751 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7752 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7753 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7754 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7755 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7756 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7758 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7759 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7760 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7764 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7767 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7769 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7770 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7771 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7772 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7774 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7777 @node Article Hiding
7778 @subsection Article Hiding
7779 @cindex article hiding
7781 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7782 too much cruft in most articles.
7787 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7788 @findex gnus-article-hide
7789 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7790 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7791 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7794 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7795 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
7796 Toggle hiding of headers (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7800 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7801 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7802 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7803 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7806 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7807 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7808 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7812 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7813 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7814 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7815 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7816 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7817 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7818 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7819 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7823 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7824 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7825 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7826 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7831 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7832 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7833 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7834 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7835 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7836 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7837 articles that have signatures in them do:
7839 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7841 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7843 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7844 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7846 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7849 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7854 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7855 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7856 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7857 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7860 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7861 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7864 @cindex stripping advertisements
7865 @cindex advertisements
7866 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7867 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7868 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7869 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7870 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7871 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7872 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7873 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7874 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7875 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7879 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7880 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7881 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7882 customizing the hiding:
7886 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7887 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7888 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7889 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7890 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7891 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7892 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7897 Starting point of the hidden text.
7899 Ending point of the hidden text.
7901 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7903 Number of lines of hidden text.
7906 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7907 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7908 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7909 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7910 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7915 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7916 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7918 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7919 following two variables:
7922 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7923 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7924 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7925 50), hide the cited text.
7927 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7928 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7929 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7934 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7935 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7936 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7937 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7938 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7939 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7943 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7944 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7945 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7947 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7948 citation customization.
7950 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7954 @node Article Washing
7955 @subsection Article Washing
7957 @cindex article washing
7959 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7960 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7962 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7963 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7966 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
7967 articles by default.
7972 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
7973 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
7977 @kindex W l (Summary)
7978 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7979 Remove page breaks from the current article
7980 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7984 @kindex W r (Summary)
7985 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7986 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7987 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7988 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7989 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7990 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7992 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7993 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7994 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7995 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7999 @kindex W t (Summary)
8001 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
8002 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8003 (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}).
8006 @kindex W v (Summary)
8007 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
8008 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8009 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
8012 @kindex W m (Summary)
8013 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
8014 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
8015 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
8018 @kindex W o (Summary)
8019 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8020 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8023 @kindex W d (Summary)
8024 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8025 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8027 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8029 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8030 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8031 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8032 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8035 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8036 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8037 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8038 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8041 @kindex W w (Summary)
8042 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8043 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8045 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8049 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8050 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8051 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8054 @kindex W C (Summary)
8055 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8056 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8057 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8060 @kindex W c (Summary)
8061 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8062 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8063 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8064 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8065 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8068 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8069 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8070 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8071 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8072 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
8073 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8074 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8076 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8079 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8080 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8081 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8082 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8083 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8086 @kindex W h (Summary)
8087 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8088 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
8089 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
8090 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
8092 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8095 @kindex W b (Summary)
8096 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8097 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8098 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8101 @kindex W B (Summary)
8102 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8103 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8104 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8107 @kindex W p (Summary)
8108 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8109 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8110 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8111 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8112 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8113 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8114 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8117 @kindex W s (Summary)
8118 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8119 Verify a signed (PGP, PGP/MIME or S/MIME) message
8120 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8123 @kindex W W H (Summary)
8124 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
8125 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8126 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
8129 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8130 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8131 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8132 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8135 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8136 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8137 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8138 lines with a single empty line.
8139 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8142 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8143 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8144 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8145 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8148 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8149 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8150 Do all the three commands above
8151 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8154 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8155 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8156 Remove all blank lines
8157 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8160 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8161 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8162 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8163 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8166 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8167 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8168 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8169 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8173 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8176 @node Article Header
8177 @subsection Article Header
8179 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8184 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8185 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8186 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8189 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8190 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8191 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8192 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8195 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8196 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-header
8197 Fold all the message headers
8198 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8203 @node Article Buttons
8204 @subsection Article Buttons
8207 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8208 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8209 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8210 button on these references.
8212 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8213 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
8214 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
8219 @item gnus-button-alist
8220 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8221 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8224 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8230 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
8231 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
8232 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
8235 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8236 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8237 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8240 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8241 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8242 avoid false matches.
8245 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8248 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8249 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8253 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8256 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8259 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8260 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8261 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8262 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8263 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8266 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8269 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8271 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8272 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8273 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8274 default values of the variables above.
8276 @item gnus-article-button-face
8277 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8278 Face used on buttons.
8280 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8281 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8282 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8286 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8290 @subsection Article Date
8292 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8293 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8294 when the article was sent.
8299 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8300 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8301 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8302 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8305 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8306 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8308 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8309 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8312 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8313 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8314 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8317 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8318 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8319 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8320 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8323 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8324 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8325 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8326 @findex format-time-string
8327 Display the date using a user-defined format
8328 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8329 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8330 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8331 for a list of possible format specs.
8334 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8335 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8336 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8337 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8338 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8339 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8342 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8345 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8346 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8349 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8350 into wonderful absurdities.
8352 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8355 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8358 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8359 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8363 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8364 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8365 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8366 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8367 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8368 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8369 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8373 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8374 preferred format automatically.
8377 @node Article Display
8378 @subsection Article Display
8383 These commands add various frivolous display gimmics to the article
8384 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8386 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8387 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8389 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8390 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8392 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8393 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8395 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8400 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8401 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8402 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8403 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8406 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8407 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8408 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8411 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8412 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8413 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8416 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8417 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8418 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8419 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8422 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8423 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8424 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8425 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8428 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8429 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8430 Remove all images from the article buffer
8431 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8437 @node Article Signature
8438 @subsection Article Signature
8440 @cindex article signature
8442 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8443 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8444 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8445 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8446 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8447 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8448 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8449 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8450 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8453 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8454 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8455 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8456 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8457 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8458 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8459 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8460 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8463 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8466 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8467 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8468 signature when displaying articles.
8472 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8475 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8478 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8479 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8481 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8482 in question is not a signature.
8485 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8486 listed above. Here's an example:
8489 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8490 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8493 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8494 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8495 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8496 signature after all.
8499 @node Article Miscellania
8500 @subsection Article Miscellania
8504 @kindex A t (Summary)
8505 @findex gnus-article-babel
8506 Translate the article from one language to another
8507 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8513 @section @sc{mime} Commands
8514 @cindex MIME decoding
8516 @cindex viewing attachments
8518 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8519 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8525 @kindex K v (Summary)
8526 View the @sc{mime} part.
8529 @kindex K o (Summary)
8530 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8533 @kindex K c (Summary)
8534 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8537 @kindex K e (Summary)
8538 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8541 @kindex K i (Summary)
8542 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8545 @kindex K | (Summary)
8546 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8549 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8554 @kindex K b (Summary)
8555 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8556 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8560 @kindex K m (Summary)
8561 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8562 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8563 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8564 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8565 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8568 @kindex X m (Summary)
8569 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8570 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8571 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8572 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8575 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8576 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
8577 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8578 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8581 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8582 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8583 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8586 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8587 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8588 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8590 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8591 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8592 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8593 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
8594 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
8595 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8598 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8599 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8600 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8607 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8608 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8609 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8610 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8613 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8616 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8620 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8621 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8622 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8623 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8624 displayed or this variable is overriden by
8625 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8628 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8629 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8630 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8631 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8632 displayed. This variable overrides
8633 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8635 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8636 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8637 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} to the default value.
8639 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8640 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8641 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8642 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8643 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8644 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8645 save all jpegs into some directory).
8647 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8650 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8651 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8653 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8654 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8655 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8656 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8657 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8660 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8661 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8662 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8664 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8665 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8666 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8667 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8669 Ready-made functions include@*
8670 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8671 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8672 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8673 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8674 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8675 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8676 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8677 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8678 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8679 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8680 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8681 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8683 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8684 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8686 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8687 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8688 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8691 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8692 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8693 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8694 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8698 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8707 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8708 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8709 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8710 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8711 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8712 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8713 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8715 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8716 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8717 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8718 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8720 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8721 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
8722 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8723 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8724 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
8725 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8726 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
8727 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
8729 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8730 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8731 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8732 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8733 quoted-printable header encoding.
8735 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8736 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8737 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8741 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8744 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8745 means encode all charsets),
8747 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8748 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8749 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8756 @cindex coding system aliases
8757 @cindex preferred charset
8759 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8761 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8762 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8765 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8766 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8769 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8770 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8772 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8775 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8778 This will almost do the right thing.
8780 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8784 (codepage-setup 1251)
8785 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8789 @node Article Commands
8790 @section Article Commands
8797 @kindex A P (Summary)
8798 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8799 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8800 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8801 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
8802 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
8803 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
8808 @node Summary Sorting
8809 @section Summary Sorting
8810 @cindex summary sorting
8812 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8813 can't really see why you'd want that.
8818 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8819 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8820 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8823 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8824 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8825 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8828 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8829 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8830 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8833 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8834 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8835 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8838 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8839 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8840 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8843 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8844 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8845 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8848 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8849 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8850 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8853 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
8854 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
8855 Sort using the default sorting method
8856 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
8859 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8860 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8861 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8862 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8863 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8867 @node Finding the Parent
8868 @section Finding the Parent
8869 @cindex parent articles
8870 @cindex referring articles
8875 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8876 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8877 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8878 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8879 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8880 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8881 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8882 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8883 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8885 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8886 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8887 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
8888 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8889 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8893 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8894 @kindex A R (Summary)
8895 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8896 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8899 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8900 @kindex A T (Summary)
8901 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8902 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8903 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8904 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8905 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8906 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8907 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8909 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8910 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8911 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8912 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8913 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8914 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8917 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8918 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8920 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8921 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8922 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8923 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8924 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8925 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8926 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8929 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8930 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8931 by giving this command a prefix.
8933 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8934 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
8935 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8936 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8937 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8938 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8941 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8942 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8943 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8946 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8947 then ask Deja if that fails:
8950 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8952 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8955 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
8956 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox}
8957 and @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8958 @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder} and @code{nnimap}1 are only able to locate
8959 articles that have been posted to the current group. (Anything else
8960 would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at
8964 @node Alternative Approaches
8965 @section Alternative Approaches
8967 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8968 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8971 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8972 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8977 @subsection Pick and Read
8978 @cindex pick and read
8980 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8981 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8982 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8983 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8985 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8986 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8987 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8988 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8989 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8990 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8992 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8997 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8998 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8999 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9000 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9001 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9002 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9003 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9004 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9007 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9008 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9009 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9010 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9014 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9015 Unpick the thread or article
9016 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9017 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9018 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9019 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9020 the thread or article at that line.
9024 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9025 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9026 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9027 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9028 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9029 will still be visible when you are reading.
9033 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9034 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9035 which is mapped to the same function
9036 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9038 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9041 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9044 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9045 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9047 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9048 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9049 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9051 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9052 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9053 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9054 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9055 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9056 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9057 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9061 @subsection Binary Groups
9062 @cindex binary groups
9064 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9065 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9066 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9067 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9068 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9069 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9070 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9073 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9074 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9075 command, when you have turned on this mode
9076 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9078 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9079 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9083 @section Tree Display
9086 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9087 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
9088 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9089 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9092 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9095 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9096 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9097 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9099 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9100 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9101 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9102 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9103 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9105 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9106 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9107 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9108 default is @code{modeline}.
9110 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9111 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9112 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9113 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9114 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9115 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9116 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9122 The name of the poster.
9124 The @code{From} header.
9126 The number of the article.
9128 The opening bracket.
9130 The closing bracket.
9135 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9137 Variables related to the display are:
9140 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9141 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9142 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9143 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9144 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9145 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9147 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9148 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9149 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9150 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9154 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9155 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9156 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
9157 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
9158 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9159 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9160 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9161 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9162 other windows displayed next to it.
9164 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9168 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9169 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9172 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9173 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9174 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9175 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9176 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9177 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9178 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9182 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9185 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9195 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9199 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9200 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9202 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9204 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9209 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9210 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9211 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9214 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9215 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9216 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9217 (gnus-add-configuration
9221 (summary 0.75 point)
9226 @xref{Window Layout}.
9229 @node Mail Group Commands
9230 @section Mail Group Commands
9231 @cindex mail group commands
9233 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9234 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9236 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9237 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9242 @kindex B e (Summary)
9243 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9244 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9245 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9246 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9247 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9250 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9251 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9252 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9253 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9254 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9255 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9258 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9259 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9260 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9261 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9262 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9263 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9266 @kindex B m (Summary)
9268 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9269 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9270 Move the article from one mail group to another
9271 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9272 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9275 @kindex B c (Summary)
9277 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9278 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9279 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9280 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9281 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9284 @kindex B B (Summary)
9285 @cindex crosspost mail
9286 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9287 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9288 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9289 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9290 be properly updated.
9293 @kindex B i (Summary)
9294 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9295 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9296 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9297 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9300 @kindex B r (Summary)
9301 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9302 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9303 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9304 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9305 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9306 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9307 (which is the default).
9311 @kindex B w (Summary)
9313 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9314 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9315 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9316 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9317 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9318 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9321 @kindex B q (Summary)
9322 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9323 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9324 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9325 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9328 @kindex B t (Summary)
9329 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9330 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9331 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9334 @kindex B p (Summary)
9335 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9336 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9337 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9338 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9339 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9340 article from your news server (or rather, from
9341 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9342 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9343 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9344 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9345 just not have arrived yet.
9349 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9350 @cindex moving articles
9351 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
9352 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9353 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9354 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9355 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9356 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9357 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9360 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9361 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9362 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9363 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9367 @node Various Summary Stuff
9368 @section Various Summary Stuff
9371 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9372 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9373 * Summary Generation Commands::
9374 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9378 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9379 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9380 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9382 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9383 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9384 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9385 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9386 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9387 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9390 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9391 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9392 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9393 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9394 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9396 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9397 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9398 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9401 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9402 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9403 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9404 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9405 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9406 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9407 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
9408 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9409 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9410 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9412 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9413 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9414 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9415 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9416 list of articles to be selected.
9418 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9419 the list in one particular group:
9422 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9423 (if (string= group "some.group")
9424 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9428 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9429 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9430 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9431 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9432 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9433 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9434 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9435 buffers. For example:
9438 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9439 '(message-use-followup-to
9440 (gnus-visible-headers .
9441 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9447 @node Summary Group Information
9448 @subsection Summary Group Information
9453 @kindex H f (Summary)
9454 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9455 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9456 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9457 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9458 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9459 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9460 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9461 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9462 be used for fetching the file.
9465 @kindex H d (Summary)
9466 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9467 Give a brief description of the current group
9468 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9469 rereading the description from the server.
9472 @kindex H h (Summary)
9473 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9474 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9475 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9478 @kindex H i (Summary)
9479 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9480 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9484 @node Searching for Articles
9485 @subsection Searching for Articles
9490 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9491 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9492 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9493 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9496 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9497 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9498 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9499 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9503 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9504 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9505 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9506 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9507 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9508 search backward instead.
9510 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9511 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9514 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9515 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9516 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9517 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9520 @node Summary Generation Commands
9521 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9526 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9527 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9528 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9531 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9532 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9533 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9534 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9539 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9540 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9546 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9547 @kindex A D (Summary)
9548 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9549 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9550 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9551 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9552 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9553 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9554 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9555 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9559 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9560 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9561 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9562 several documents into one biiig group
9563 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9564 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9565 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9566 command understands the process/prefix convention
9567 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9570 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9571 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9572 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9573 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9574 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9575 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9579 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9580 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9581 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9584 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9585 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9586 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9587 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9590 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9591 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9592 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9593 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9598 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9599 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9600 @cindex summary exit
9601 @cindex exiting groups
9603 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9604 group and return you to the group buffer.
9610 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9612 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9613 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9614 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9615 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9616 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9617 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9618 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9619 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9620 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9621 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9622 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9626 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9628 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9629 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9630 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9634 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9636 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9637 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9638 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9639 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9642 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9643 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9644 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9645 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9648 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9649 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9650 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9651 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9654 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9655 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9656 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9657 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9658 all articles, both read and unread.
9662 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9663 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9664 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9665 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9666 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9667 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9668 articles, both read and unread.
9671 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9672 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9673 Exit the group and go to the next group
9674 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9677 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9678 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9679 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9680 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9683 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9684 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9685 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9686 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9687 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9688 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9691 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9692 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9693 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9694 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9696 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9697 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9698 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9699 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9700 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9701 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9702 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9703 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9704 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9705 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9706 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9707 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9709 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9711 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9712 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9713 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9714 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9715 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9716 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9717 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9718 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9719 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9722 @node Crosspost Handling
9723 @section Crosspost Handling
9727 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9728 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9729 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9730 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9731 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9732 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9735 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9736 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9737 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9738 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9739 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9741 @cindex cross-posting
9744 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9745 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9746 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9747 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9748 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9749 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9750 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9751 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9752 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9753 the cross reference mechanism.
9755 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9756 @cindex overview.fmt
9757 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9758 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9759 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9760 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9761 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9762 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9765 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9766 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9767 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9772 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9775 @node Duplicate Suppression
9776 @section Duplicate Suppression
9778 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9779 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9780 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9781 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9786 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9787 is evil and not very common.
9790 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9791 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9794 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9795 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9798 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9801 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9802 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9804 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9805 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9806 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9807 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9808 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9809 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9810 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9813 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9814 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9815 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9816 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9817 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9821 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9822 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9823 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9825 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9826 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9827 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9828 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9829 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
9830 session are suppressed.
9832 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9833 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9834 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9835 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9837 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9838 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9839 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9840 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9843 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
9844 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9845 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9846 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9847 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
9848 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9849 to you to figure out, I think.
9854 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
9855 The formats that are supported are PGP, PGP/MIME and S/MIME, however
9856 you need some external programs to get things to work:
9860 To handle PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or gpg.el as
9861 well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG).
9864 To handle S/MIME message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
9865 or newer is recommended.
9869 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
9870 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
9873 @item mm-verify-option
9874 @vindex mm-verify-option
9875 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
9876 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
9877 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9879 @item mm-decrypt-option
9880 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
9881 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
9882 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
9883 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9888 @section Mailing List
9890 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
9891 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
9892 possibly using @kbd{A M} in the summary buffer, or say:
9895 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
9898 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
9903 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
9904 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
9905 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
9908 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
9909 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
9910 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
9913 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
9914 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
9915 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
9919 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
9920 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
9921 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
9924 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
9925 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
9926 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
9929 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
9930 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
9931 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
9935 @node Article Buffer
9936 @chapter Article Buffer
9937 @cindex article buffer
9939 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
9940 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
9941 tell gnus otherwise.
9944 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
9945 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
9946 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
9947 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
9948 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
9952 @node Hiding Headers
9953 @section Hiding Headers
9954 @cindex hiding headers
9955 @cindex deleting headers
9957 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
9958 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
9960 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
9961 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
9962 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
9963 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
9964 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
9965 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
9966 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
9967 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
9968 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
9970 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9974 @item gnus-visible-headers
9975 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9976 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9977 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9978 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9980 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9981 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9984 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9987 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9990 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9991 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9992 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9993 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9994 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9995 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9997 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
9998 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
10001 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10004 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10007 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10008 variable will have no effect.
10012 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10013 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10014 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10015 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10016 the headers are to be displayed.
10018 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10019 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10022 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10025 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10026 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10028 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10029 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10030 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10031 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10032 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10033 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10034 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10037 These conditions are:
10040 Remove all empty headers.
10042 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10043 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10045 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10046 @code{From} header.
10048 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10051 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10052 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10054 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10057 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10059 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10062 To include these three elements, you could say something like;
10065 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10066 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10069 This is also the default value for this variable.
10073 @section Using MIME
10076 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10077 while people stand around yawning.
10079 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10080 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10082 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10083 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10084 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10086 @vindex gnus-show-mime
10087 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
10088 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
10089 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
10090 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
10091 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
10092 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
10093 calls the SEMI MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
10094 information on SEMI MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is not
10095 existed yet, sorry).
10097 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
10098 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
10099 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
10100 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
10101 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
10102 buffer. These can't be avoided.
10104 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
10105 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
10106 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
10107 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
10108 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
10109 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
10110 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
10111 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
10112 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
10115 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10117 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
10118 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
10119 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
10120 buffer when there are nobody else.
10122 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10125 @node Customizing Articles
10126 @section Customizing Articles
10127 @cindex article customization
10129 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10130 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10131 called automatically when you select the articles.
10133 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10134 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10135 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10136 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10138 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10139 for sensible values.
10143 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10146 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10149 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10152 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10155 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10159 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10160 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10161 regexps in the list.
10164 A list where the first element is not a string:
10166 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10167 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10168 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10172 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10176 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
10181 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10182 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10183 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10184 considered to contain just a single part.
10186 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10187 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10188 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10189 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10190 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10191 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10192 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10194 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10195 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10196 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10197 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10200 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10201 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10203 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10205 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10206 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10207 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10208 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10209 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10210 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10211 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10212 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10213 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10215 @xref{Article Washing}.
10217 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10218 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10219 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10220 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10221 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10222 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10223 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10225 @xref{Article Date}.
10227 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10228 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10229 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10233 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10235 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10237 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10238 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10239 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10243 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10247 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10248 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10249 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10250 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10251 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10252 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10253 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10254 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10256 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10258 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10259 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10260 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10262 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10264 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10265 @item gnus-treat-translate
10266 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10268 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10269 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10270 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10272 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset
10275 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10276 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10277 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10278 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10279 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10283 @node Article Keymap
10284 @section Article Keymap
10286 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10287 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10288 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10289 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10292 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10297 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10298 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10299 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10302 @kindex DEL (Article)
10303 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10304 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10307 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10308 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10309 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10310 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10311 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10314 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10315 @findex gnus-article-mail
10316 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10317 given a prefix, include the mail.
10320 @kindex s (Article)
10321 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10322 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10323 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10326 @kindex ? (Article)
10327 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10328 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10329 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10332 @kindex TAB (Article)
10333 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10334 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10335 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10338 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10339 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10340 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10343 @kindex R (Article)
10344 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10345 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10346 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10347 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10351 @kindex F (Article)
10352 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10353 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10354 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10355 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10363 @section Misc Article
10367 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10368 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10369 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10370 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10373 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10374 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10376 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10377 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10379 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10380 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10381 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10382 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10383 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10384 the contents of the article buffer.
10386 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10387 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10388 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10390 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10391 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10392 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10393 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10395 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10396 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10397 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10398 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10399 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10405 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10406 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10407 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10412 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10415 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10418 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10419 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10420 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10423 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10426 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10429 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10434 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10438 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10440 @item gnus-break-pages
10441 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10442 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10443 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10444 paging will not be done.
10446 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10447 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10448 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10453 @node Composing Messages
10454 @chapter Composing Messages
10455 @cindex composing messages
10458 @cindex sending mail
10463 @cindex using s/mime
10464 @cindex using smime
10466 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10467 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10468 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10469 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10470 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10471 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10474 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10475 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
10476 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10477 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10478 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10479 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10480 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10481 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10484 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10485 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10491 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10494 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10495 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10496 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10497 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
10499 @item gnus-add-to-list
10500 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10501 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10502 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10507 @node Posting Server
10508 @section Posting Server
10510 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10511 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10513 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10515 @vindex gnus-post-method
10517 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will post using the same
10518 select method as you're reading from (which might be convenient if
10519 you're reading lots of groups from different private servers).
10520 However. If the server you're reading from doesn't allow posting,
10521 just reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
10522 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
10523 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10526 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10529 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10530 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10531 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10532 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10534 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10535 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10537 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10538 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10541 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10542 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10545 @node Mail and Post
10546 @section Mail and Post
10548 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
10552 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
10553 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
10554 @cindex mailing lists
10556 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
10557 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
10558 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
10559 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
10560 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
10561 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
10562 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
10563 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
10564 still a pain, though.
10568 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
10569 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
10570 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
10573 @findex ispell-message
10575 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
10578 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
10579 you're in, you could say something like the following:
10582 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
10586 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
10587 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
10589 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
10592 Modify to suit your needs.
10595 @node Archived Messages
10596 @section Archived Messages
10597 @cindex archived messages
10598 @cindex sent messages
10600 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
10601 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
10602 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
10603 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
10606 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
10607 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
10608 use to store sent messages. The default is:
10611 (nnfolder "archive"
10612 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
10613 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
10614 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
10615 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
10618 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
10619 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
10620 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
10621 directory chosen, you could say something like:
10624 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
10625 '(nnfolder "archive"
10626 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
10627 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
10628 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
10631 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
10633 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
10634 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
10635 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
10637 This variable can be used to do the following:
10642 Messages will be saved in that group.
10644 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
10645 message will not be stored in the select method given by
10646 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
10647 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
10648 has the default value shown above. Then setting
10649 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
10650 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
10651 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
10655 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
10657 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
10658 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
10661 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
10666 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
10668 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
10671 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
10673 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
10676 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
10678 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10679 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
10680 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
10681 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
10684 More complex stuff:
10686 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10687 '((if (message-news-p)
10692 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
10693 messages in one file per month:
10696 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10697 '((if (message-news-p)
10699 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
10702 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
10703 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
10705 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
10706 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
10707 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
10708 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
10709 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
10710 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
10711 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
10712 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
10713 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
10714 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
10716 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
10717 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
10718 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
10719 this will disable archiving.
10722 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
10723 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
10724 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
10725 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
10726 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
10729 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
10730 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
10731 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
10734 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
10735 but the latter is the preferred method.
10737 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
10738 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
10739 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
10744 @node Posting Styles
10745 @section Posting Styles
10746 @cindex posting styles
10749 All them variables, they make my head swim.
10751 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
10752 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
10753 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
10756 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
10757 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
10758 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
10759 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
10760 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
10765 (signature "Peace and happiness")
10766 (organization "What me?"))
10768 (signature "Death to everybody"))
10769 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
10770 (organization "Emacs is it")))
10773 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
10774 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
10775 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
10776 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
10777 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
10778 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
10779 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
10780 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
10782 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
10783 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
10784 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header (the
10785 next element in the match) in the original article , and compare that to
10786 the last regexp in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function
10787 will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the
10788 variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be
10789 @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value,
10790 then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
10792 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
10793 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
10794 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
10795 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
10796 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
10797 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
10798 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
10799 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
10800 result is thrown away.
10802 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
10803 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
10804 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
10805 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
10806 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
10807 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
10809 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
10810 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
10811 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
10813 @findex message-mail-p
10814 @findex message-news-p
10816 So here's a new example:
10819 (setq gnus-posting-styles
10821 (signature-file "~/.signature")
10823 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
10824 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
10826 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
10827 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
10828 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
10830 (signature my-news-signature))
10831 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
10832 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
10833 ((posting-from-work-p)
10834 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
10835 (address "user@@bar.foo")
10836 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
10837 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
10839 (From (save-excursion
10840 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
10841 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
10843 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
10846 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
10847 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
10848 if you fill many roles.
10855 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
10856 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
10857 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
10858 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
10859 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
10861 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
10862 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
10863 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
10864 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
10865 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
10869 @vindex nndraft-directory
10870 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
10871 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
10872 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
10873 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
10874 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
10875 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
10877 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
10878 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
10881 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
10882 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
10883 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
10884 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
10885 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
10886 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
10887 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
10888 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
10889 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
10890 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
10891 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
10892 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
10893 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
10894 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
10896 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
10897 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
10898 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
10900 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
10901 @kindex D e (Draft)
10902 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
10903 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
10904 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
10906 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
10909 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
10910 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
10911 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
10912 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
10913 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
10914 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
10915 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
10918 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
10919 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
10920 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
10923 @node Rejected Articles
10924 @section Rejected Articles
10925 @cindex rejected articles
10927 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
10928 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
10929 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
10930 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
10932 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
10933 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
10934 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
10935 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
10936 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
10938 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
10939 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
10940 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
10942 @node Signing and encrypting
10943 @section Signing and encrypting
10945 @cindex using s/mime
10946 @cindex using smime
10948 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
10949 format or PGP/MIME or S/MIME. For decoding such messages, see the
10950 @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
10951 (@pxref{Security}).
10953 For PGP, Gnus supports two external libraries, @sc{gpg.el} and
10954 @sc{Mailcrypt}, you need to install at least one of them. The S/MIME
10955 support in Gnus requires the external program OpenSSL.
10957 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a MIME part is done
10958 using the @code{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @code{C-c C-m
10959 c} key map for encryption, as follows.
10964 @kindex C-c C-m s s
10965 @findex mml-secure-sign-smime
10967 Digitally sign current MIME part using S/MIME.
10970 @kindex C-c C-m s o
10971 @findex mml-secure-sign-pgp
10973 Digitally sign current MIME part using PGP.
10976 @kindex C-c C-m s p
10977 @findex mml-secure-sign-pgp
10979 Digitally sign current MIME part using PGP/MIME.
10982 @kindex C-c C-m c s
10983 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-smime
10985 Digitally encrypt current MIME part using S/MIME.
10988 @kindex C-c C-m c o
10989 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-pgp
10991 Digitally encrypt current MIME part using PGP.
10994 @kindex C-c C-m c p
10995 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-pgpmime
10997 Digitally encrypt current MIME part using PGP/MIME.
11001 Also @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}.
11003 @node Select Methods
11004 @chapter Select Methods
11005 @cindex foreign groups
11006 @cindex select methods
11008 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11009 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11010 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11011 personal mail group.
11013 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11014 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11015 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11016 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11017 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11018 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11020 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11021 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11023 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11026 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11027 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11028 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11029 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11030 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11032 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11035 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11036 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11037 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11038 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11039 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11040 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11041 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11042 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11046 @node Server Buffer
11047 @section Server Buffer
11049 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11050 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11051 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11052 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11053 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11054 back end represents a virtual server.
11056 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11057 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11058 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11059 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11061 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11062 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11063 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11064 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11065 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11066 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11067 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11069 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11070 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11073 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11074 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11075 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11076 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11077 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11078 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11079 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11082 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11083 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11086 @node Server Buffer Format
11087 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11088 @cindex server buffer format
11090 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11091 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11092 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11093 variable, with some simple extensions:
11098 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11101 The name of this server.
11104 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11107 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11110 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11111 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11112 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11113 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11123 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11126 @node Server Commands
11127 @subsection Server Commands
11128 @cindex server commands
11134 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11135 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11139 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11140 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11143 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11144 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11145 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11149 @findex gnus-server-exit
11150 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11154 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11155 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11159 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11160 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11164 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11165 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11169 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11170 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11174 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11175 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11176 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11181 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11182 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11183 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11184 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11189 @node Example Methods
11190 @subsection Example Methods
11192 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11195 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11198 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11204 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11205 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11208 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11209 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11211 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11212 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11216 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11219 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11220 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11222 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11223 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11224 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11228 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11231 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11234 Here's the method for a public spool:
11238 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11239 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11245 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11246 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11247 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11248 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11249 should probably look something like this:
11253 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11254 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11255 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11256 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11259 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11260 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11261 configuration to the example above:
11264 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11267 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11268 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11269 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11273 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11274 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11275 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11276 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11279 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11280 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11281 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11282 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11285 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11286 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11288 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11289 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11291 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11292 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11293 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11295 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11297 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11298 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11299 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11300 will contain the following:
11310 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11311 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11312 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11315 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11316 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11317 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11320 @node Server Variables
11321 @subsection Server Variables
11323 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11324 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11325 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11326 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11327 won't change the "derived" variables.
11329 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11330 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11331 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11332 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11333 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11334 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11335 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11336 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11337 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11341 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11342 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11343 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11347 @node Servers and Methods
11348 @subsection Servers and Methods
11350 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11351 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11352 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11353 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11357 @node Unavailable Servers
11358 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11360 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11361 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11362 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11363 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11364 actually the case or not.
11366 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11367 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11368 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11369 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11370 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11371 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11372 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11373 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11375 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11376 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11378 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11379 with the following commands:
11385 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11386 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11387 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11391 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11392 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11393 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11397 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11398 Mark the current server as unreachable
11399 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11402 @kindex M-o (Server)
11403 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11404 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11405 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11408 @kindex M-c (Server)
11409 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11410 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11411 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11415 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11416 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11417 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11423 @section Getting News
11424 @cindex reading news
11425 @cindex news back ends
11427 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11428 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11429 or it can read from a local spool.
11432 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11433 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11438 @subsection @sc{nntp}
11441 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11442 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11443 server as the, uhm, address.
11445 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11446 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11447 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11448 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11450 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11451 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11452 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11454 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11459 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11460 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11461 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11463 @cindex authentification
11464 @cindex nntp authentification
11465 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11466 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11467 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11468 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11469 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11470 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11471 present in this hook.
11473 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11474 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11475 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11476 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11477 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11478 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
11479 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
11480 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
11481 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
11482 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
11483 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
11484 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
11488 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
11491 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
11493 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
11494 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
11495 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
11496 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
11497 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
11498 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
11499 @samp{force} is explained below.
11503 Here's an example file:
11506 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
11507 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
11510 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
11511 have to be first, for instance.
11513 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
11514 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
11515 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
11516 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
11517 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
11518 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
11519 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
11521 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
11522 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
11528 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
11529 previously mentioned.
11531 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
11533 @item nntp-server-action-alist
11534 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
11535 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
11536 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
11537 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
11540 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
11541 '(("innd" (ding))))
11544 You probably don't want to do that, though.
11546 The default value is
11549 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
11550 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
11551 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
11554 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
11555 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
11557 @item nntp-maximum-request
11558 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
11559 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
11560 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
11561 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
11562 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
11563 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
11564 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
11566 @item nntp-connection-timeout
11567 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
11568 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
11569 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
11570 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
11571 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
11572 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
11573 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
11574 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
11575 no timeouts are done.
11577 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
11578 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
11579 @c @cindex PPP connections
11580 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
11581 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
11582 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
11583 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
11584 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
11585 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
11586 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
11587 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
11588 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
11589 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
11591 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
11592 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
11593 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
11594 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
11595 @c described above.
11597 @item nntp-server-hook
11598 @vindex nntp-server-hook
11599 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
11602 @item nntp-buggy-select
11603 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
11604 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
11606 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
11607 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
11608 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
11609 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
11612 @item nntp-xover-commands
11613 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
11616 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
11617 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
11621 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
11622 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
11623 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
11624 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
11625 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
11626 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
11627 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
11628 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
11629 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
11630 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
11631 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
11633 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
11634 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
11635 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
11637 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11638 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11639 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
11640 server closes connection.
11642 @item nntp-record-commands
11643 @vindex nntp-record-commands
11644 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
11645 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
11646 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
11647 that doesn't seem to work.
11649 @item nntp-open-connection-function
11650 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
11651 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
11652 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
11653 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
11654 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
11655 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
11656 indirect ones (two pre-made).
11658 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
11659 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
11660 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
11661 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
11662 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
11663 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
11664 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
11667 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
11670 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
11671 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
11673 @item nntp-list-options
11674 @vindex nntp-list-options
11675 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
11676 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
11677 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
11678 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
11679 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
11683 (setq gnus-select-method
11684 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
11685 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
11688 @item nntp-options-subscribe
11689 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
11690 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
11691 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
11692 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
11693 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
11694 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
11697 (setq gnus-select-method
11698 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
11699 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
11702 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
11703 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
11704 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
11705 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
11706 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
11707 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
11708 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
11711 (setq gnus-select-method
11712 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
11713 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
11718 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
11719 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
11720 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
11724 @node Direct Functions
11725 @subsubsection Direct Functions
11726 @cindex direct connection functions
11728 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
11729 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
11730 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
11731 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11734 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
11735 @item nntp-open-network-stream
11736 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
11739 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
11740 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
11741 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
11742 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
11743 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
11744 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
11745 define a server as follows:
11748 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
11750 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
11752 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
11753 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
11754 (nntp-port-number "snews")
11755 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
11758 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
11759 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
11760 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
11761 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
11762 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
11763 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
11764 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
11765 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
11769 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11770 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
11771 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
11774 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
11775 session, which is not a good idea.
11779 @node Indirect Functions
11780 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
11781 @cindex indirect connection functions
11783 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
11784 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
11785 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
11786 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
11787 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
11788 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11791 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11792 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11793 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
11794 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
11795 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
11797 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11800 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
11801 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
11802 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
11803 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
11806 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11807 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11808 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
11809 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
11811 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11814 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
11815 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
11816 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
11819 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
11820 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
11821 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
11822 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
11824 @item nntp-via-user-password
11825 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
11826 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
11828 @item nntp-via-envuser
11829 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
11830 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
11831 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
11832 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
11834 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
11835 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
11836 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
11837 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
11844 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
11849 @item nntp-via-user-name
11850 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
11851 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
11853 @item nntp-via-address
11854 @vindex nntp-via-address
11855 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
11860 @node Common Variables
11861 @subsubsection Common Variables
11863 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
11864 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
11869 @item nntp-pre-command
11870 @vindex nntp-pre-command
11871 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
11872 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
11873 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
11874 wrapper for instance.
11877 @vindex nntp-address
11878 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
11880 @item nntp-port-number
11881 @vindex nntp-port-number
11882 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
11884 @item nntp-end-of-line
11885 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
11886 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
11887 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
11888 using a non native connection function.
11890 @item nntp-telnet-command
11891 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
11892 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
11893 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
11894 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
11896 @item nntp-telnet-switches
11897 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
11898 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
11905 @subsection News Spool
11909 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
11910 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
11911 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
11914 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
11915 anything else) as the address.
11917 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
11918 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
11919 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
11920 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
11924 @item nnspool-inews-program
11925 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
11926 Program used to post an article.
11928 @item nnspool-inews-switches
11929 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
11930 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
11932 @item nnspool-spool-directory
11933 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
11934 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
11935 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
11937 @item nnspool-nov-directory
11938 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
11939 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
11940 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
11942 @item nnspool-lib-dir
11943 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
11944 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
11946 @item nnspool-active-file
11947 @vindex nnspool-active-file
11948 The path to the active file.
11950 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
11951 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
11952 The path to the group descriptions file.
11954 @item nnspool-history-file
11955 @vindex nnspool-history-file
11956 The path to the news history file.
11958 @item nnspool-active-times-file
11959 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
11960 The path to the active date file.
11962 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
11963 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
11964 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
11967 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11968 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11970 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
11971 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
11972 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
11978 @section Getting Mail
11979 @cindex reading mail
11982 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
11986 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
11987 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
11988 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
11989 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
11990 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
11991 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
11992 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
11993 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
11994 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
11995 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
11996 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
11997 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
11998 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12002 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12003 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12005 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12006 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12007 of a culture shock.
12009 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12010 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12012 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12013 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12014 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12015 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12017 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12019 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12020 deleted? How awful!
12022 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12023 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12024 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12025 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12028 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12029 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12030 they want to treat a message.
12032 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12033 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12034 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12035 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12036 archived somewhere else.
12038 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12039 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12040 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12041 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12042 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12044 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12045 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12046 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12048 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12049 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12052 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12053 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12054 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12055 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12056 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12058 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12059 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12060 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12061 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12062 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12063 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12067 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12068 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12070 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12071 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12072 and things will happen automatically.
12074 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12075 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
12078 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12081 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12082 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12083 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12084 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12085 like any other group.
12087 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12090 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12091 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12092 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12096 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12097 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12098 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12101 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12102 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12103 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12106 @node Splitting Mail
12107 @subsection Splitting Mail
12108 @cindex splitting mail
12109 @cindex mail splitting
12111 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12112 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12113 to be split into groups.
12116 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12117 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12118 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12119 ("mail.other" "")))
12122 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12123 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12124 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12125 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12126 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12127 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12128 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12131 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12134 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12135 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12136 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12137 mail belongs in that group.
12139 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12140 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12141 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12142 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12143 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12144 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12146 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12147 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12148 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12149 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12150 thinks should carry this mail message.
12152 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12153 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12154 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12155 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12157 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12158 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12159 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12160 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12161 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12163 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12166 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12167 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12168 links. If that's the case for you, set
12169 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12170 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12172 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12173 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12174 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12175 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12176 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12177 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12180 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12181 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12182 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12183 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12184 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12185 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12186 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12187 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12188 month's rent money.
12192 @subsection Mail Sources
12194 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12195 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12199 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12200 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12201 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12205 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12206 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12208 @cindex mail server
12211 @cindex mail source
12213 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12214 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12219 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12222 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12223 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12224 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12227 The following mail source types are available:
12231 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12237 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12238 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
12241 An example file mail source:
12244 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12247 Or using the default path:
12253 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12254 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12255 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12258 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12262 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12265 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12269 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12272 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12274 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12277 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12281 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
12282 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
12283 That is, mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in the
12284 group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12285 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12286 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus
12287 to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you
12288 want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12294 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12298 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12302 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12303 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12304 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12305 predicate are considered.
12309 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12313 An example directory mail source:
12316 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12321 Get mail from a POP server.
12327 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12328 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12331 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12332 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12333 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12334 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12335 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12338 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12342 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12346 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12347 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12350 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12353 The valid format specifier characters are:
12357 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12358 included in this string.
12361 The name of the server.
12364 The port number of the server.
12367 The user name to use.
12370 The password to use.
12373 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12374 corresponding keywords.
12377 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12378 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12381 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12382 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12385 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12386 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12389 @item :authentication
12390 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12391 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12396 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12397 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12399 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12400 default user name, and default fetcher:
12406 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12409 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12410 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12413 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12416 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12420 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12421 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12422 contains exactly one mail.
12428 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12429 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12432 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12433 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12435 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12436 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12437 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12440 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12441 from locking problems).
12445 Two example maildir mail sources:
12448 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12449 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12453 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12458 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12459 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12460 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12461 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12464 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12465 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12471 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12472 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12475 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
12476 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
12479 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
12483 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
12487 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
12488 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
12489 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
12490 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
12492 @item :authentication
12493 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
12494 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
12495 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
12496 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
12499 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
12500 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
12501 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
12507 The valid format specifier characters are:
12511 The name of the server.
12514 User name from `imap-default-user'.
12517 The port number of the server.
12520 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12521 corresponding keywords.
12524 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
12525 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
12528 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
12529 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
12530 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
12531 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
12532 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
12533 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
12536 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
12537 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
12538 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
12539 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
12542 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
12543 after finishing the fetch.
12547 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
12550 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
12552 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
12556 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
12557 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
12559 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
12562 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
12563 required for url "4.0pre.46".
12565 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
12571 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
12572 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
12575 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
12579 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
12583 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
12584 folder after finishing the fetch.
12588 An example webmail source:
12591 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
12593 :password "secret")
12598 @item Common Keywords
12599 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
12605 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
12606 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
12610 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
12615 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
12616 useful when you use local mail and news.
12621 @subsubsection Function Interface
12623 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
12624 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
12625 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
12626 consider the following mail-source setting:
12629 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
12630 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
12633 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
12634 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
12635 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
12636 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
12637 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
12639 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
12642 @node Mail Source Customization
12643 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
12645 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
12646 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
12650 @item mail-source-crash-box
12651 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
12652 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
12653 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
12655 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
12656 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
12657 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
12659 @item mail-source-directory
12660 @vindex mail-source-directory
12661 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
12662 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
12663 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
12666 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
12667 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
12668 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
12669 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
12670 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
12671 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
12673 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
12674 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
12675 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
12677 @item mail-source-movemail-program
12678 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
12679 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
12680 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
12685 @node Fetching Mail
12686 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
12688 @vindex mail-sources
12689 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
12690 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
12691 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
12692 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
12694 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
12695 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
12698 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
12699 mail server, you'd say something like:
12704 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12705 :password "secret")))
12708 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
12712 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
12713 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12716 :password "secret")))
12720 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
12721 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
12722 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
12723 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
12724 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
12725 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
12729 @node Mail Back End Variables
12730 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
12732 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
12736 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12737 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12738 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
12739 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
12741 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
12742 @item nnmail-split-hook
12743 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
12744 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
12745 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
12746 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
12747 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
12748 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
12749 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
12750 in the buffer will show up in any files.
12751 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
12754 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12755 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12756 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12757 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12758 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
12759 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
12760 starting to handle the new mail) and
12761 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
12762 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
12763 default file modes the new mail files get:
12766 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12767 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
12769 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12770 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
12773 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
12774 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
12775 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
12776 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
12777 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
12778 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
12779 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
12781 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
12782 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
12783 @findex delete-file
12784 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
12786 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12787 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12788 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
12789 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
12790 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
12795 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
12796 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
12797 @cindex mail splitting
12798 @cindex fancy mail splitting
12800 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
12801 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
12802 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
12803 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
12804 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
12805 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
12807 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
12810 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
12811 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
12812 ;; from real errors.
12813 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
12815 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
12816 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
12817 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
12818 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
12819 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
12820 ;; Other mailing lists...
12821 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
12822 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
12823 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
12824 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
12825 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
12826 ;; message was really cross-posted.
12827 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
12828 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
12830 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
12831 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
12835 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
12836 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
12837 the five possible split syntaxes:
12842 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
12843 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
12847 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
12848 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
12849 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
12850 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
12851 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
12852 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
12853 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
12854 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
12857 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12858 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
12859 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
12860 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
12863 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12864 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
12867 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
12868 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
12871 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
12872 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
12873 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
12874 function should return a @var{split}.
12877 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
12878 body of the messages:
12881 (defun split-on-body ()
12883 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
12884 (goto-char (point-min))
12885 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
12889 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
12890 when the @code{:} function is run.
12893 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12894 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
12895 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
12899 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
12903 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
12904 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
12905 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
12906 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
12907 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
12909 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
12910 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
12911 are expanded as specified by the variable
12912 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
12913 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
12916 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
12917 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
12918 when all this splitting is performed.
12920 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
12921 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
12922 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
12925 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
12928 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
12929 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
12931 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
12932 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
12933 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
12934 groupings 1 through 9.
12936 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
12937 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
12938 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
12939 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
12940 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
12941 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
12942 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
12943 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
12944 it once per thread.
12946 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
12947 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
12948 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
12951 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12952 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
12953 ;; other splits go here
12957 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
12958 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
12959 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
12960 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
12961 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
12962 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
12963 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
12964 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
12965 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
12966 unless the group name matches the regexp
12967 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
12968 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
12969 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
12970 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
12971 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12972 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
12973 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
12974 messages goes into the new group.
12977 @node Group Mail Splitting
12978 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
12979 @cindex mail splitting
12980 @cindex group mail splitting
12982 @findex gnus-group-split
12983 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
12984 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
12985 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
12986 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
12987 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
12988 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
12989 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
12990 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
12992 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
12993 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
12994 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
12995 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
12997 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
12998 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
12999 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13000 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13001 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13002 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13003 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13005 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13006 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13007 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13008 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13009 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13010 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13011 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13013 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13014 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13015 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13016 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13017 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13018 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13019 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13020 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13021 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13022 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13023 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13024 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13025 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13027 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13032 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13033 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13035 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13036 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13037 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13038 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13040 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13043 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13044 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13045 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13048 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13049 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13050 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13054 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13055 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13056 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13060 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13063 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13064 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13065 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13066 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13067 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13068 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13069 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13070 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13071 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13073 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13074 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13075 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13076 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13077 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13078 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13079 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13080 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13081 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13083 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13084 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13085 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13086 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13087 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13088 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
13091 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13094 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13095 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13096 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13097 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13098 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13101 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13102 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13103 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13104 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13106 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13107 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13108 @cindex incorporating old mail
13109 @cindex import old mail
13111 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13112 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13113 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13116 Doing so can be quite easy.
13118 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13119 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13120 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13121 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13122 your @code{nnml} groups.
13128 Go to the group buffer.
13131 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13132 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13135 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13138 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13139 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13142 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13143 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13146 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13147 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13148 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13149 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13150 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13152 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13153 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13154 using the new mail back end.
13157 @node Expiring Mail
13158 @subsection Expiring Mail
13159 @cindex article expiry
13161 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13162 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13163 different approach to mail reading.
13165 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13166 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13167 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13168 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13169 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13170 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13173 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13174 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
13175 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13176 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13177 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13178 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13179 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13180 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13182 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13183 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
13184 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
13185 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
13186 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
13187 column in the summary buffer.
13189 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13190 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13191 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13192 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13195 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13197 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13198 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13199 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13202 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13203 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13204 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13205 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13206 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13208 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13209 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13212 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13213 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13216 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13217 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13219 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13220 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13221 don't really mix very well.
13223 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13224 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13225 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13226 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13229 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13230 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13231 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13232 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13235 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13237 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13239 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13241 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13243 ((string= group "important")
13249 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13250 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13252 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13253 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13254 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13257 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13258 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13260 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13261 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13262 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13263 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13264 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13265 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13266 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13267 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13268 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13269 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13270 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13271 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13272 name or @code{delete}.
13274 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13276 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13279 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13280 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13281 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13282 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13283 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13286 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13287 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13288 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13289 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13290 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13293 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13294 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13295 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13296 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13297 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13298 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13300 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13301 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13302 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13303 easier for procmail users.
13305 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13306 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13307 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13308 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13309 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13310 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13311 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13312 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13313 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13314 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13315 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13316 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13317 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13320 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13322 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13323 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13324 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13325 auto-expire turned on.
13329 @subsection Washing Mail
13330 @cindex mail washing
13331 @cindex list server brain damage
13332 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13334 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13335 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13336 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13337 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13338 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13339 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13341 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13342 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13343 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13346 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13347 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13348 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13349 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13352 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13353 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13354 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13355 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13356 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13359 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13360 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13361 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13362 Emacs running on MS machines.
13366 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13367 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13368 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13369 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13372 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13373 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13374 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13375 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13377 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13378 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13379 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13380 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13381 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13382 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13383 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13386 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13387 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13390 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13391 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13394 This can also be done non-destructively with
13395 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13397 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13398 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13399 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13401 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13402 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13404 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13405 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13406 @code{References} headers.
13410 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13411 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13412 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13416 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13417 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13418 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13425 @subsection Duplicates
13427 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
13428 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
13429 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
13430 @cindex duplicate mails
13431 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
13432 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
13433 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
13434 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
13435 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
13436 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
13437 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
13438 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
13439 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
13440 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
13441 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
13442 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
13443 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
13445 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
13446 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
13447 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
13448 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
13450 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
13453 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
13454 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
13458 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13459 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
13460 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
13461 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
13462 (any mail "mail.misc")
13469 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13470 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
13475 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
13476 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
13477 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
13478 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
13479 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
13482 @node Not Reading Mail
13483 @subsection Not Reading Mail
13485 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
13486 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
13487 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
13489 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
13490 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
13491 mail, which should help.
13493 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13494 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13495 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13496 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13497 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13498 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
13499 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
13500 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
13501 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
13502 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
13503 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
13505 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
13506 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
13510 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
13511 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
13513 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
13514 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
13515 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
13517 There are five different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
13518 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
13519 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
13520 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
13523 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
13524 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
13525 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
13526 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
13527 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
13528 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
13532 @node Unix Mail Box
13533 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
13535 @cindex unix mail box
13537 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13538 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13539 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
13540 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
13541 which group it belongs in.
13543 Virtual server settings:
13546 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
13547 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13548 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
13551 @item nnmbox-active-file
13552 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13553 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
13554 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
13556 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
13557 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13558 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
13559 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
13564 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
13568 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13569 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13570 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
13571 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
13572 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
13574 Virtual server settings:
13577 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
13578 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13579 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
13581 @item nnbabyl-active-file
13582 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13583 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
13584 @file{~/.rmail-active}
13586 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13587 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13588 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
13594 @subsubsection Mail Spool
13596 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
13598 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
13599 format. It should be used with some caution.
13601 @vindex nnml-directory
13602 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
13603 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
13604 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
13605 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
13607 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
13610 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
13611 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
13612 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
13613 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
13614 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
13615 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
13616 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
13617 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
13619 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
13620 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
13621 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
13622 back end when it comes to reading mail.
13624 @cindex self contained nnml servers
13625 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
13626 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
13627 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
13628 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
13629 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
13630 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
13631 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
13632 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
13635 Virtual server settings:
13638 @item nnml-directory
13639 @vindex nnml-directory
13640 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
13641 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
13644 @item nnml-active-file
13645 @vindex nnml-active-file
13646 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
13647 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
13649 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
13650 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
13651 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
13652 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
13654 @item nnml-get-new-mail
13655 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13656 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
13659 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
13660 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
13661 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
13662 default is @code{nil}.
13664 @item nnml-nov-file-name
13665 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
13666 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
13668 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
13669 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
13670 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
13672 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
13673 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
13674 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
13675 default is @code{nil}.
13677 @item nnml-marks-file-name
13678 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
13679 The name of the @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
13683 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
13684 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
13685 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
13686 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
13687 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
13688 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
13689 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
13694 @subsubsection MH Spool
13696 @cindex mh-e mail spool
13698 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
13699 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
13700 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
13701 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
13703 Virtual server settings:
13706 @item nnmh-directory
13707 @vindex nnmh-directory
13708 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
13709 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
13712 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
13713 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13714 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
13718 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
13719 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
13720 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
13721 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
13722 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
13723 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
13724 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
13729 @subsubsection Mail Folders
13731 @cindex mbox folders
13732 @cindex mail folders
13734 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
13735 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
13736 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
13739 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
13740 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
13741 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
13742 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
13743 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
13744 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
13745 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
13746 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
13747 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
13748 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
13749 @code{nnfolder} directory).
13751 Virtual server settings:
13754 @item nnfolder-directory
13755 @vindex nnfolder-directory
13756 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
13757 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
13760 @item nnfolder-active-file
13761 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
13762 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
13764 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13765 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13766 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
13767 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
13769 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
13770 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13771 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
13774 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13775 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13776 @cindex backup files
13777 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
13778 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
13779 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
13780 your @file{.emacs} file:
13783 (defun turn-off-backup ()
13784 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
13786 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
13789 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13790 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13791 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
13792 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
13793 extract some information from it before removing it.
13795 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13796 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13797 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
13798 default is @code{nil}.
13800 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
13801 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
13802 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
13804 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
13805 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
13806 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
13807 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
13809 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
13810 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
13811 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
13812 default is @code{nil}.
13814 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
13815 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
13816 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
13818 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
13819 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
13820 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
13821 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
13826 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
13827 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
13828 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
13829 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
13830 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
13831 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
13834 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
13835 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
13837 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
13838 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
13839 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
13840 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
13841 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
13843 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
13844 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
13845 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
13846 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
13847 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
13848 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
13849 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
13850 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
13853 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
13854 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
13855 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
13856 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
13861 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
13862 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
13863 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
13864 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
13865 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
13866 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
13867 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
13868 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
13869 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
13870 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
13871 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
13872 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
13873 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
13878 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
13879 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
13880 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
13881 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
13882 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
13883 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
13884 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
13885 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
13886 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
13887 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
13888 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
13889 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
13890 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
13891 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
13893 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
13894 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
13899 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
13900 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
13901 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
13902 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
13903 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
13904 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
13905 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
13906 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
13907 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
13908 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
13909 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
13910 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
13911 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
13912 provided by the active file and overviews.
13914 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
13915 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
13916 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
13917 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
13918 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
13921 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
13922 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
13927 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
13928 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
13929 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
13930 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
13931 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
13932 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
13933 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
13937 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
13938 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
13939 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
13940 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
13941 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
13942 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
13943 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
13944 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
13945 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
13947 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
13948 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
13949 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
13950 friendly mail back end all over.
13955 @node Browsing the Web
13956 @section Browsing the Web
13958 @cindex browsing the web
13962 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
13963 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
13964 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
13965 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
13966 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
13967 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
13968 even know what a news group is.
13970 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
13971 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
13972 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
13973 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
13974 you mad in the end.
13976 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
13979 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
13980 interfaces to these sources.
13984 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
13985 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
13986 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
13987 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
13988 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
13989 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
13992 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
13994 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
13995 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
13996 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
13997 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
13998 though, you should be ok.
14000 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14001 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14002 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14003 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14004 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14006 @node Archiving Mail
14007 @subsection Archiving Mail
14008 @cindex archiving mail
14009 @cindex backup of mail
14011 Some of the back ends, notably nnml and nnfolder, now actually store
14012 the article marks with each group. For these servers, archiving and
14013 restoring a group while preserving marks is fairly simple.
14015 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14016 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @code{.newsrc.eld} deity
14019 To archive an entire @code{nnml} or @code{nnfolder} server, take a
14020 recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need to shut down
14021 Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or similar. You
14022 restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and adding a server
14023 definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The @ref{Article
14024 Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things might interfer
14025 with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus before you
14028 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml} or
14029 @code{nnfolder} groups, while preserving marks. For @code{nnml}, you
14030 copy all files in the group's directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need
14031 to copy both the base folder file itself (@code{FOO}, say), and the
14032 marks file (@code{FOO.mrk} in this example). Restoring the group is
14033 done with @kbd{G m} from the Group buffer. The last step makes Gnus
14034 notice the new directory.
14037 @subsection Web Searches
14041 @cindex InReference
14042 @cindex Usenet searches
14043 @cindex searching the Usenet
14045 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14046 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14047 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14048 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14049 searches without having to use a browser.
14051 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14052 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14053 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14054 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14055 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14057 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14058 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14059 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14060 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14061 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14062 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14063 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14064 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14065 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14066 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14069 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14070 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14071 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14072 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14073 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14074 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14076 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14077 to use @code{nnweb}.
14079 Virtual server variables:
14084 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14085 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
14089 @vindex nnweb-search
14090 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14092 @item nnweb-max-hits
14093 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14094 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14097 @item nnweb-type-definition
14098 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14099 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14100 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14105 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14109 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14112 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14115 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14119 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14126 @subsection Slashdot
14130 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14131 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14132 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14134 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14135 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14138 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14139 '((nnslashdot "")))
14142 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14143 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14144 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14145 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14146 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14149 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14150 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14152 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14153 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14154 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14155 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14156 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14157 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14160 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14163 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14164 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14165 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14166 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14167 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14168 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14169 but much, much slower than untreaded.
14171 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14172 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14173 The login name to use when posting.
14175 @item nnslashdot-password
14176 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14177 The password to use when posting.
14179 @item nnslashdot-directory
14180 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14181 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14182 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14184 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14185 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14186 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14187 news articles and comments. The default is
14188 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14190 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14191 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14192 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14194 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14196 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14197 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14198 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14200 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14202 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14203 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14204 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14206 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14207 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14208 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14209 updated. The default is 0.
14216 @subsection Ultimate
14218 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14220 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14221 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14222 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14223 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14225 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14226 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14227 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14228 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14229 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14230 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14231 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14233 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14236 @item nnultimate-directory
14237 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14238 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14239 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14244 @subsection Web Archive
14246 @cindex Web Archive
14248 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14249 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14250 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14251 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14254 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14255 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14256 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14257 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14258 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14259 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14260 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14262 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14265 @item nnwarchive-directory
14266 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14267 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14268 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14270 @item nnwarchive-login
14271 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14272 The account name on the web server.
14274 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14275 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14276 The password for your account on the web server.
14284 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14285 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14286 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14289 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14290 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14293 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14296 @item nnrss-directory
14297 @vindex nnrss-directory
14298 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14299 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14303 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14304 the summary buffer.
14307 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14308 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14310 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14312 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14313 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14316 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14319 (require 'browse-url)
14321 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14323 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14326 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14327 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14329 (browse-url (cdr url))
14330 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14332 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14333 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14334 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14335 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14338 @node Customizing w3
14339 @subsection Customizing w3
14345 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14346 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14347 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14349 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14350 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14351 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
14354 (eval-after-load "w3"
14356 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
14357 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
14358 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
14359 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
14361 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
14364 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
14365 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
14374 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14375 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14376 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14377 specify the network address of the server.
14379 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14380 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14381 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14382 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
14383 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
14385 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
14386 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
14387 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
14388 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
14390 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14391 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
14392 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14393 usage explained in this section.
14395 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14396 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
14397 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
14400 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14401 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14402 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14404 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14405 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14406 ; a UW server running on localhost
14408 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14409 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14410 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14411 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14412 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14413 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14414 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14415 (nnimap-stream network))
14416 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14418 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14419 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14420 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14423 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14428 @item nnimap-address
14429 @vindex nnimap-address
14431 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14432 server name if not specified.
14434 @item nnimap-server-port
14435 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14436 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14438 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
14441 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14442 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14445 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14446 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14447 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14448 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14449 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14450 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14451 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14453 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14454 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14455 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14458 Example server specification:
14461 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14462 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14463 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14466 @item nnimap-stream
14467 @vindex nnimap-stream
14468 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14469 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14470 of SSL/TLS. (IMAP over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
14471 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
14473 Example server specification:
14476 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14477 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14480 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14484 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
14485 @samp{imtest} program.
14487 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
14489 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14490 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14493 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
14494 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
14495 library @samp{ssl.el}.
14497 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14499 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14502 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14503 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
14504 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
14505 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
14506 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
14507 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
14508 restrictions on IMAP commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
14509 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
14510 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14513 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14514 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14515 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14516 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
14517 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14518 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14519 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14520 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
14521 distribution, for instance).
14523 @vindex imap-shell-program
14524 @vindex imap-shell-host
14525 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14526 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14528 @item nnimap-authenticator
14529 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14531 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14532 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14534 Example server specification:
14537 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14538 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14541 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14545 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
14546 external program @code{imtest}.
14548 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
14551 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
14552 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14554 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14556 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14558 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14561 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
14563 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
14564 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
14565 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
14566 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
14567 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
14568 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
14571 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
14572 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
14573 running in circles yet?
14575 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
14576 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
14579 The possible options are:
14584 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
14587 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
14588 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
14589 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
14590 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
14592 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
14597 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
14598 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
14600 If non-nil, marks dormant articles as ticked (as well), for other IMAP
14601 clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will naturally still (only) be
14602 marked as ticked. This is to make dormant articles stand out, just
14603 like ticked articles, in other IMAP clients. (In other words, Gnus has
14604 two ``Tick'' marks and IMAP has only one.)
14606 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
14607 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
14610 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
14611 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14612 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
14613 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14616 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
14617 as ticked for other users.
14619 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
14621 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
14623 This variable contain the IMAP search command sent to server when
14624 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
14625 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
14626 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
14628 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
14629 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
14630 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
14631 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
14633 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
14634 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
14636 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
14637 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
14638 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
14644 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
14645 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
14646 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
14651 @node Splitting in IMAP
14652 @subsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
14653 @cindex splitting imap mail
14655 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
14656 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
14657 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
14658 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
14659 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
14663 Here are the variables of interest:
14667 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
14668 @cindex splitting, crosspost
14670 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
14672 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
14673 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
14675 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
14677 @item nnimap-split-inbox
14678 @cindex splitting, inbox
14680 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
14682 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
14683 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
14687 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
14688 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
14691 No nnmail equivalent.
14693 @item nnimap-split-rule
14694 @cindex Splitting, rules
14695 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
14697 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
14700 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
14701 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
14702 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
14703 Neither did I, we need examples.
14706 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14708 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
14709 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
14710 ("INBOX.private" "")))
14713 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
14714 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
14715 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
14717 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
14718 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
14722 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
14725 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14726 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
14727 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
14728 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
14730 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
14731 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
14732 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
14733 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
14734 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
14735 them every time you fetch new mail.)
14737 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
14738 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
14739 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
14741 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
14742 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
14743 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14745 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
14747 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
14748 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
14749 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
14752 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14753 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14754 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14755 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14756 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14757 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
14760 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
14761 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
14762 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
14763 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
14764 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
14765 group/function elements.
14767 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
14769 @item nnimap-split-predicate
14771 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
14773 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
14774 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
14776 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
14777 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
14778 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
14781 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14782 @cindex splitting, fancy
14783 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
14784 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
14786 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14787 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
14788 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14790 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
14791 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14792 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
14793 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14798 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
14799 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
14802 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14806 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
14807 @subsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14808 @cindex editing imap acls
14809 @cindex Access Control Lists
14810 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14812 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
14814 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
14815 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
14816 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
14819 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
14820 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
14821 editing window with detailed instructions.
14823 Some possible uses:
14827 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
14828 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
14829 follow the list without subscribing to it.
14831 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
14832 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
14833 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
14837 @node Expunging mailboxes
14838 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
14842 @cindex Manual expunging
14844 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
14846 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
14847 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
14848 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
14850 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
14855 @node Other Sources
14856 @section Other Sources
14858 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
14859 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
14863 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
14864 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
14865 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
14866 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
14867 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
14871 @node Directory Groups
14872 @subsection Directory Groups
14874 @cindex directory groups
14876 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
14877 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
14880 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
14881 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
14882 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
14883 back end to read directories. Big deal.
14885 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
14886 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
14887 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
14888 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
14889 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
14891 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
14893 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
14894 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
14895 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
14896 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
14899 @node Anything Groups
14900 @subsection Anything Groups
14903 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
14904 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
14905 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
14908 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
14909 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
14910 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
14911 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
14912 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
14913 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
14914 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
14915 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
14916 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
14917 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
14920 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
14921 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
14922 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
14923 in the article buffer, just as usual.
14925 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
14926 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
14927 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
14928 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
14930 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
14931 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
14932 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
14933 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
14934 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
14935 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
14936 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
14937 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
14942 @item nneething-map-file-directory
14943 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
14944 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
14945 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
14947 @item nneething-exclude-files
14948 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
14949 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
14950 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
14952 @item nneething-include-files
14953 @vindex nneething-include-files
14954 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
14955 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
14957 @item nneething-map-file
14958 @vindex nneething-map-file
14959 Name of the map files.
14963 @node Document Groups
14964 @subsection Document Groups
14966 @cindex documentation group
14969 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
14970 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
14977 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
14982 The standard Unix mbox file.
14984 @cindex MMDF mail box
14986 The MMDF mail box format.
14989 Several news articles appended into a file.
14992 @cindex rnews batch files
14993 The rnews batch transport format.
14994 @cindex forwarded messages
14997 Forwarded articles.
15000 Netscape mail boxes.
15003 MIME multipart messages.
15005 @item standard-digest
15006 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15009 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15012 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15013 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15014 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15017 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15018 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15019 group. And that's it.
15021 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15022 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15023 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15024 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15025 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15026 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15027 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15028 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15029 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15030 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15032 Virtual server variables:
15035 @item nndoc-article-type
15036 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15037 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15038 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15039 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15040 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail},
15041 @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman} or @code{guess}.
15043 @item nndoc-post-type
15044 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15045 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15046 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15051 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15055 @node Document Server Internals
15056 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15058 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15059 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15060 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15061 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15063 First, here's an example document type definition:
15067 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15068 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15071 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15072 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15073 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15074 types can be defined with very few settings:
15077 @item first-article
15078 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15079 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15082 @item article-begin
15083 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15084 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15086 @item head-begin-function
15087 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15090 @item nndoc-head-begin
15091 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15094 @item nndoc-head-end
15095 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15096 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15098 @item body-begin-function
15099 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15103 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15106 @item body-end-function
15107 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15111 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15114 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15115 regexp will be totally ignored.
15119 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15120 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15121 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15122 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15123 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15126 @item prepare-body-function
15127 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15128 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15129 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15131 @item article-transform-function
15132 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15133 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15134 body of the article.
15136 @item generate-head-function
15137 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15138 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15139 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15140 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15144 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15149 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15150 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15151 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15152 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15153 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15154 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15155 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15156 (subtype digest guess))
15159 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15160 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15161 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15162 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15163 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15165 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15166 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15167 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15168 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15169 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
15170 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15171 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15172 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15173 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15174 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15182 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15183 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15184 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15186 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15187 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15188 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15191 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15192 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15193 that interested in doing things properly.
15195 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15196 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15199 First some terminology:
15204 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15205 get news and/or mail from.
15208 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15209 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15212 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15216 @item message packets
15217 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15218 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15219 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15221 @item response packets
15222 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15223 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15224 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15234 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15235 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15236 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15237 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
15240 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
15243 You put the packet in your home directory.
15246 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
15247 the native or secondary server.
15250 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
15251 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
15254 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
15258 You transfer this packet to the server.
15261 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
15264 You then repeat until you die.
15268 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
15269 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
15272 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
15273 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
15274 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
15278 @node SOUP Commands
15279 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
15281 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
15285 @kindex G s b (Group)
15286 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
15287 Pack all unread articles in the current group
15288 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
15289 process/prefix convention.
15292 @kindex G s w (Group)
15293 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
15294 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
15297 @kindex G s s (Group)
15298 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
15299 Send all replies from the replies packet
15300 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
15303 @kindex G s p (Group)
15304 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
15305 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
15308 @kindex G s r (Group)
15309 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
15310 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
15313 @kindex O s (Summary)
15314 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
15315 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
15316 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
15317 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15322 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
15327 @item gnus-soup-directory
15328 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
15329 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
15330 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
15332 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
15333 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
15334 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
15335 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
15337 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
15338 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
15339 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
15340 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
15342 @item gnus-soup-packer
15343 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
15344 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15345 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
15347 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
15348 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
15349 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15350 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15352 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
15353 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
15354 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
15356 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15357 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15358 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
15359 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
15365 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
15368 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
15369 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
15370 you can read them at leisure.
15372 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
15376 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
15377 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
15378 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
15379 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
15381 @item nnsoup-directory
15382 @vindex nnsoup-directory
15383 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
15384 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
15386 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
15387 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
15388 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
15389 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
15391 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
15392 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
15393 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
15394 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
15395 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
15397 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
15398 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
15399 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
15400 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
15402 @item nnsoup-active-file
15403 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
15404 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
15405 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
15406 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
15407 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
15409 @item nnsoup-packer
15410 @vindex nnsoup-packer
15411 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
15412 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
15414 @item nnsoup-unpacker
15415 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
15416 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
15417 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15419 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
15420 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
15421 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
15424 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
15425 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
15426 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
15429 @item nnsoup-always-save
15430 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
15431 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
15437 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
15439 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
15440 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
15441 more for that to happen.
15443 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
15444 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
15445 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
15448 In specific, this is what it does:
15451 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
15452 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
15455 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
15456 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
15457 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
15460 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
15461 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
15462 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
15465 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
15466 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
15467 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
15469 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
15475 @item nngateway-address
15476 @vindex nngateway-address
15477 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
15479 @item nngateway-header-transformation
15480 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
15481 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
15482 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
15483 transformation should be called, and defaults to
15484 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
15485 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
15488 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
15489 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
15490 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
15493 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
15496 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
15499 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
15502 The following pre-defined functions exist:
15504 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15507 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15508 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15509 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
15511 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15513 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15514 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15515 @code{nngateway-address}.
15520 (setq gnus-post-method
15522 "mail2news@@replay.com"
15523 (nngateway-header-transformation
15524 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
15532 So, to use this, simply say something like:
15535 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
15540 @node Combined Groups
15541 @section Combined Groups
15543 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
15547 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
15548 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
15552 @node Virtual Groups
15553 @subsection Virtual Groups
15555 @cindex virtual groups
15556 @cindex merging groups
15558 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
15561 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
15562 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
15563 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
15565 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
15566 regexp to match component groups.
15568 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
15569 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
15570 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
15571 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
15572 the virtual group.)
15574 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
15575 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
15578 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
15581 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
15582 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
15584 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
15585 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
15586 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
15587 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
15590 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
15593 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
15594 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
15595 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
15597 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
15598 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
15599 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
15600 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
15601 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
15603 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
15604 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
15605 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
15607 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
15608 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
15609 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
15610 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
15611 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
15612 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
15613 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
15614 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
15615 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
15616 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
15617 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
15619 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
15620 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
15621 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
15622 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
15623 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
15624 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
15625 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
15627 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
15628 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
15630 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
15631 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
15635 @node Kibozed Groups
15636 @subsection Kibozed Groups
15640 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
15641 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
15642 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
15643 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
15645 @kindex G k (Group)
15646 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
15649 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
15650 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
15651 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
15652 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
15654 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
15655 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
15656 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
15658 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
15659 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
15660 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
15661 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
15662 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
15663 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
15664 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
15665 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
15667 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
15668 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
15669 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
15670 Stranger things have happened.
15672 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
15673 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
15675 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
15676 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
15677 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
15678 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
15679 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
15680 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
15682 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
15683 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
15686 @node Gnus Unplugged
15687 @section Gnus Unplugged
15692 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
15694 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
15695 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
15696 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
15697 read news. Believe it or not.
15699 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
15700 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
15701 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
15702 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
15703 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
15705 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
15706 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
15707 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
15708 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
15709 reading news on a machine.
15711 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
15715 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
15716 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
15720 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
15721 @file{.gnus.el} file:
15728 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
15730 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
15733 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
15734 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
15735 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
15736 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
15737 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
15738 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
15739 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
15740 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
15741 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
15742 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
15747 @subsection Agent Basics
15749 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
15751 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
15752 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
15753 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
15754 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
15756 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
15757 connected to the net continuously.
15759 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
15760 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
15762 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
15767 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
15768 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
15769 already fetched while in this mode.
15772 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
15773 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
15774 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
15775 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
15776 Source Specifiers}).
15779 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
15780 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
15781 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
15782 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
15783 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
15786 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
15787 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
15788 then you read the news offline.
15791 And then you go to step 2.
15794 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
15800 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
15801 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
15802 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
15803 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
15804 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
15805 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
15808 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
15815 @node Agent Categories
15816 @subsection Agent Categories
15818 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
15819 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
15820 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
15821 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
15822 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
15823 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
15824 you're interested in the articles anyway.
15826 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
15827 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
15828 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
15829 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
15830 managing categories.
15833 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
15834 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
15835 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
15839 @node Category Syntax
15840 @subsubsection Category Syntax
15842 A category consists of two things.
15846 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
15847 are eligible for downloading; and
15850 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
15851 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
15852 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
15855 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
15856 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
15857 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
15858 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
15860 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
15861 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
15862 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
15864 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
15865 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
15866 operators sprinkled in between.
15868 Perhaps some examples are in order.
15870 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
15871 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
15877 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
15878 short (for some value of ``short'').
15880 Here's a more complex predicate:
15889 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
15890 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
15893 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
15894 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
15895 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
15897 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
15898 you want to do, you can write your own.
15902 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
15903 lines; default 100.
15906 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
15907 lines; default 200.
15910 True iff the article has a download score less than
15911 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
15914 True iff the article has a download score greater than
15915 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
15918 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
15919 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
15920 checksum and sees whether articles match.
15929 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
15930 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
15931 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
15934 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
15935 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
15936 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
15937 something along the lines of the following:
15940 (defun my-article-old-p ()
15941 "Say whether an article is old."
15942 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
15943 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
15946 with the predicate then defined as:
15949 (not my-article-old-p)
15952 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
15953 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
15954 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
15955 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
15958 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
15959 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
15960 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
15963 and simply specify your predicate as:
15969 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
15970 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
15971 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
15972 just don't give a damn.
15974 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
15975 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
15976 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
15977 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
15978 parameters like so:
15981 (agent-predicate . short)
15984 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
15985 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
15986 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
15988 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
15991 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
15994 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
15995 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
15996 predicate is assumed to be a list.
15999 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16000 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16001 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16002 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16003 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16004 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16006 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16007 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16008 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16009 if it's to be specific to that group.
16011 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16018 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16019 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16025 Category specification
16029 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16035 Group Parameter specification
16038 (agent-score ("from"
16039 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16044 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16050 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16057 Category specification
16060 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16066 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16070 Group Parameter specification
16073 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16076 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16081 Use @code{normal} score files
16083 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16084 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16085 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16086 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16088 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16089 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16090 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16091 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16095 Category Specification
16102 Group Parameter specification
16105 (agent-score . file)
16110 @node Category Buffer
16111 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16113 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16114 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16115 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16117 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16121 @kindex q (Category)
16122 @findex gnus-category-exit
16123 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16126 @kindex k (Category)
16127 @findex gnus-category-kill
16128 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16131 @kindex c (Category)
16132 @findex gnus-category-copy
16133 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16136 @kindex a (Category)
16137 @findex gnus-category-add
16138 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16141 @kindex p (Category)
16142 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16143 Edit the predicate of the current category
16144 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16147 @kindex g (Category)
16148 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16149 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16150 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16153 @kindex s (Category)
16154 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16155 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16156 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16159 @kindex l (Category)
16160 @findex gnus-category-list
16161 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16165 @node Category Variables
16166 @subsubsection Category Variables
16169 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16170 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16171 Hook run in category buffers.
16173 @item gnus-category-line-format
16174 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16175 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16176 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16180 The name of the category.
16183 The number of groups in the category.
16186 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16187 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16188 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16190 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16191 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16192 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16194 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16195 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16196 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16198 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16199 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16200 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16203 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16204 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16205 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16211 @node Agent Commands
16212 @subsection Agent Commands
16214 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16215 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16216 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16220 * Group Agent Commands::
16221 * Summary Agent Commands::
16222 * Server Agent Commands::
16225 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
16226 following incantation:
16228 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
16230 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
16235 @node Group Agent Commands
16236 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16240 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16241 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16242 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16243 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16246 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16247 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16248 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16251 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16252 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16253 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
16254 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
16257 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
16258 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
16259 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
16260 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
16263 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
16264 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
16265 Add the current group to an Agent category
16266 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
16267 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16270 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
16271 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
16272 Remove the current group from its category, if any
16273 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
16274 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16277 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
16278 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16279 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
16285 @node Summary Agent Commands
16286 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
16290 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
16291 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
16292 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
16295 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
16296 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
16297 Remove the downloading mark from the article
16298 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
16301 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
16302 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
16303 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
16306 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
16307 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
16308 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
16311 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
16312 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
16313 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
16314 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
16319 @node Server Agent Commands
16320 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
16324 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
16325 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
16326 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
16327 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
16330 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
16331 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
16332 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
16333 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
16339 @subsection Agent Expiry
16341 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
16342 @findex gnus-agent-expire
16343 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
16344 @cindex Agent expiry
16345 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
16348 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
16349 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
16350 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
16351 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
16352 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
16353 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
16355 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
16356 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
16357 expiry in different groups.
16360 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
16366 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
16367 method---it must always match all groups.
16369 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
16370 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
16371 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
16372 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
16373 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
16376 @node Agent and IMAP
16377 @subsection Agent and IMAP
16379 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
16380 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
16381 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
16382 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
16384 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
16385 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
16386 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
16387 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
16389 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
16390 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
16391 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
16392 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
16393 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
16395 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16396 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
16397 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
16398 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
16399 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
16400 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
16402 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
16403 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
16404 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
16405 in the group buffer by default.
16407 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
16408 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
16413 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
16416 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
16420 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
16421 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
16422 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
16423 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
16424 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
16425 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
16426 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
16427 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
16430 @node Outgoing Messages
16431 @subsection Outgoing Messages
16433 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
16434 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
16435 after posting, and edit them at will.
16437 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
16438 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
16439 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
16440 messages in the draft group.
16444 @node Agent Variables
16445 @subsection Agent Variables
16448 @item gnus-agent-directory
16449 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
16450 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
16451 @file{~/News/agent/}.
16453 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
16454 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
16455 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
16456 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
16457 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
16460 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16461 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16462 Hook run when connecting to the network.
16464 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16465 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16466 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
16468 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16469 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16470 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
16475 @node Example Setup
16476 @subsection Example Setup
16478 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
16479 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
16480 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
16483 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
16484 ;;; from your ISP's server.
16485 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
16487 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
16488 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
16489 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
16491 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
16492 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
16494 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
16498 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
16499 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
16502 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
16503 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
16504 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
16505 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
16506 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
16509 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
16510 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
16511 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
16512 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
16513 back all the killed groups.)
16515 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
16516 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
16517 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
16520 @node Batching Agents
16521 @subsection Batching Agents
16523 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
16524 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
16525 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
16529 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
16533 @node Agent Caveats
16534 @subsection Agent Caveats
16536 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
16537 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
16541 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
16546 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
16547 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
16553 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
16554 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
16561 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
16562 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
16563 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
16566 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
16567 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
16568 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
16569 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
16570 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
16572 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
16573 before generating the summary buffer.
16575 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
16576 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
16577 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
16579 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
16580 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
16581 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
16582 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
16585 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
16586 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
16587 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
16588 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
16589 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
16590 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
16591 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
16592 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
16593 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
16594 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
16595 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
16596 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
16597 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
16598 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
16599 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
16600 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
16601 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
16605 @node Summary Score Commands
16606 @section Summary Score Commands
16607 @cindex score commands
16609 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
16610 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
16611 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
16612 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
16613 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
16615 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
16616 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
16617 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
16618 score file the current one.
16620 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
16625 @kindex V s (Summary)
16626 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
16627 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
16630 @kindex V S (Summary)
16631 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
16632 Display the score of the current article
16633 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
16636 @kindex V t (Summary)
16637 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
16638 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
16639 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
16642 @kindex V R (Summary)
16643 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
16644 Run the current summary through the scoring process
16645 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
16646 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
16647 effect you're having.
16650 @kindex V c (Summary)
16651 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
16652 Make a different score file the current
16653 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
16656 @kindex V e (Summary)
16657 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
16658 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
16659 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
16663 @kindex V f (Summary)
16664 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
16665 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
16666 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
16669 @kindex V F (Summary)
16670 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
16671 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
16672 after editing score files.
16675 @kindex V C (Summary)
16676 @findex gnus-score-customize
16677 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
16678 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
16682 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
16687 @kindex V m (Summary)
16688 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
16689 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
16690 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
16693 @kindex V x (Summary)
16694 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
16695 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
16696 expunge all articles below this score
16697 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
16700 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
16701 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
16704 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
16705 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
16709 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
16710 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
16712 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
16713 keys are available:
16717 Score on the author name.
16720 Score on the subject line.
16723 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
16726 Score on the @code{References} line.
16732 Score on the number of lines.
16735 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
16738 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
16739 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
16740 @file{ADAPT} files.)
16749 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
16755 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
16756 what headers you are scoring on.
16768 Substring matching.
16771 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
16800 Greater than number.
16805 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
16806 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
16807 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
16811 Temporary score entry.
16814 Permanent score entry.
16817 Immediately scoring.
16822 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
16823 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
16824 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
16825 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
16827 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
16828 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
16829 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
16830 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
16831 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
16833 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
16834 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
16835 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
16836 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
16837 current score file.
16839 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
16840 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
16841 pretend they are keymaps or not.
16844 @node Group Score Commands
16845 @section Group Score Commands
16846 @cindex group score commands
16848 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
16853 @kindex W f (Group)
16854 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
16855 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
16856 all the time. This command will flush the cache
16857 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
16861 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
16863 @findex gnus-batch-score
16864 @cindex batch scoring
16866 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
16870 @node Score Variables
16871 @section Score Variables
16872 @cindex score variables
16876 @item gnus-use-scoring
16877 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
16878 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
16879 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
16881 @item gnus-kill-killed
16882 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
16883 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
16884 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
16885 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
16886 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
16887 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
16888 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
16890 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
16891 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
16892 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
16893 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
16894 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
16896 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
16897 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
16898 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
16899 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
16901 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
16902 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
16903 @cindex score cache
16904 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
16905 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
16906 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
16907 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
16908 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
16909 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
16912 @item gnus-save-score
16913 @vindex gnus-save-score
16914 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
16915 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
16916 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
16918 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
16919 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
16920 across group visits.
16922 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
16923 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
16924 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
16925 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
16926 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
16927 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
16928 manually entered data.
16930 @item gnus-summary-default-score
16931 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
16932 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
16934 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
16935 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
16936 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
16937 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
16938 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
16939 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
16941 @item gnus-score-over-mark
16942 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
16943 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
16944 default. Default is @samp{+}.
16946 @item gnus-score-below-mark
16947 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
16948 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
16949 default. Default is @samp{-}.
16951 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
16952 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
16953 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
16954 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
16956 Predefined functions available are:
16959 @item gnus-score-find-single
16960 @findex gnus-score-find-single
16961 Only apply the group's own score file.
16963 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
16964 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
16965 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
16966 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
16967 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
16968 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
16969 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
16970 then a regexp match is done.
16972 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
16973 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
16975 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
16976 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
16977 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
16978 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
16980 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
16981 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
16982 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
16983 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
16984 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
16988 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
16989 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
16990 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
16991 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
16992 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
16993 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
16994 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
16997 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
16998 overall score file, you could use the value
17000 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17001 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17004 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17005 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17006 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17007 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17008 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17010 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17011 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17012 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
17013 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
17014 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
17015 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
17016 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
17017 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
17019 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17020 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17021 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17023 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17024 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17025 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17026 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17027 threading---according to the current value of
17028 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17029 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17030 simplified in this manner.
17035 @node Score File Format
17036 @section Score File Format
17037 @cindex score file format
17039 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17040 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17041 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17043 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17047 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17049 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17051 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17053 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17058 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17062 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17063 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17064 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17065 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17069 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17070 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17072 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17073 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17074 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17076 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17081 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17082 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17083 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17084 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17085 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17086 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17087 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17088 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17089 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17090 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17091 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17092 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17093 to articles that matches these score entries.
17095 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17096 score entry has one to four elements.
17100 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17101 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17105 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17106 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17107 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17108 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17109 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17110 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17113 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17114 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17115 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17116 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17117 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17120 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17121 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17122 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17123 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17126 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17127 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17128 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
17129 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
17130 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
17131 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
17132 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
17133 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
17134 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
17135 instead, if you feel like.
17138 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
17139 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
17141 These predicates are true if
17144 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
17147 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
17148 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
17155 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
17156 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
17157 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
17158 it's not. I think.)
17160 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
17161 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
17162 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
17163 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
17166 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
17167 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
17168 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
17169 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
17170 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
17171 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
17172 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
17176 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
17177 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
17178 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
17179 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
17180 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
17181 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
17182 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
17183 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
17186 @item Head, Body, All
17187 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
17191 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
17192 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
17193 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
17194 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
17195 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
17196 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
17197 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
17201 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
17202 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
17203 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
17204 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
17205 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
17206 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
17207 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
17208 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
17209 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
17210 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
17211 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
17215 @cindex Score File Atoms
17217 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17218 lower than this number will be marked as read.
17221 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17222 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
17224 @item mark-and-expunge
17225 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17226 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
17229 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
17230 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
17231 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
17232 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
17233 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
17236 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
17237 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
17240 @item exclude-files
17241 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
17242 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
17246 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
17247 ignored when handling global score files.
17250 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
17251 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
17252 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
17253 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
17256 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
17257 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
17258 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
17259 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
17261 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
17265 (mark-and-expunge -100)
17268 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
17269 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
17270 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
17271 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
17272 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
17274 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
17275 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
17276 scoring rules exist.
17279 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
17280 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
17281 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
17282 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
17283 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
17284 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
17285 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17286 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
17287 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
17288 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
17289 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
17293 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
17294 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
17295 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
17296 file for a number of groups.
17299 @cindex local variables
17300 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
17301 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
17302 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
17303 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
17304 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
17308 @node Score File Editing
17309 @section Score File Editing
17311 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
17312 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
17313 with a mode for that.
17315 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
17316 additional commands:
17321 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
17322 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
17323 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
17324 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
17327 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
17328 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
17329 Insert the current date in numerical format
17330 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
17331 you were wondering.
17334 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
17335 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
17336 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
17337 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
17338 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
17343 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
17345 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
17346 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
17348 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
17349 e} to begin editing score files.
17352 @node Adaptive Scoring
17353 @section Adaptive Scoring
17354 @cindex adaptive scoring
17356 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
17357 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
17358 stupidity, to be precise.
17360 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
17361 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
17362 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
17363 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
17364 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17365 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
17366 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
17367 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
17368 variable to @code{(word line)}.
17370 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17371 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
17372 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
17373 might look something like this:
17376 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17377 '((gnus-unread-mark)
17378 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
17379 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
17380 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
17381 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
17382 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
17383 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
17384 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
17385 (gnus-ancient-mark)
17386 (gnus-low-score-mark)
17387 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
17390 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
17391 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
17392 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
17393 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
17394 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
17395 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
17398 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
17399 will be applied to each article.
17401 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
17402 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
17403 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
17404 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
17406 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
17407 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
17408 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
17409 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
17411 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
17412 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
17413 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
17414 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
17416 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
17417 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
17418 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
17419 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
17420 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
17421 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
17423 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
17424 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
17425 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
17426 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
17427 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
17428 aspirins afterwards.)
17430 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
17431 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
17432 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
17434 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
17435 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
17436 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
17438 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
17439 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
17440 let you use different rules in different groups.
17442 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
17443 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
17444 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
17447 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
17448 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
17449 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
17450 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
17451 the length of the match is less than
17452 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
17453 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
17456 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17457 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
17458 headers. If you adapt on words, the
17459 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
17460 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
17463 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17464 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
17465 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
17466 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
17467 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
17470 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
17471 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
17472 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
17473 score with 30 points.
17475 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
17476 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
17477 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
17478 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
17479 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
17481 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
17482 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
17483 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
17484 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
17485 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
17487 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
17488 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
17489 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
17490 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
17492 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
17493 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
17494 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
17495 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
17497 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
17498 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
17499 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
17500 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
17501 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
17503 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
17504 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
17505 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
17507 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
17508 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
17509 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
17510 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
17513 @node Home Score File
17514 @section Home Score File
17516 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
17517 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
17518 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
17519 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
17521 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
17522 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
17523 could perhaps use the same home score file.
17525 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
17526 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
17531 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
17535 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
17536 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
17540 A list. The elements in this list can be:
17544 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
17545 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
17548 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
17549 the home score file.
17552 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
17555 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
17560 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
17563 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17564 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
17567 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
17568 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
17570 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
17572 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17573 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
17576 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
17577 Other functions include
17580 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
17581 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
17582 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
17583 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
17587 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
17588 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
17589 their own home score files:
17592 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17593 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
17594 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
17595 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
17596 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
17599 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
17600 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
17601 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
17602 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
17603 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
17605 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
17606 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
17607 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
17608 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
17609 precedence over this variable.
17612 @node Followups To Yourself
17613 @section Followups To Yourself
17615 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
17616 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
17617 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
17618 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
17619 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
17620 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
17624 @item gnus-score-followup-article
17625 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
17626 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
17629 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
17630 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
17631 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
17635 @vindex message-sent-hook
17636 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
17637 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
17639 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
17643 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
17644 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
17648 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
17649 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
17652 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
17653 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
17658 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
17662 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
17663 is system-dependent.
17666 @node Scoring On Other Headers
17667 @section Scoring On Other Headers
17668 @cindex scoring on other headers
17670 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
17671 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
17672 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
17673 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
17674 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
17676 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
17677 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
17678 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
17679 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
17680 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
17682 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
17685 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
17686 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
17689 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
17690 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
17691 time if you have much mail.
17693 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
17694 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
17700 @section Scoring Tips
17701 @cindex scoring tips
17707 @cindex scoring crossposts
17708 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
17709 the @code{Xref} header.
17711 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
17714 @item Multiple crossposts
17715 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
17716 more than, say, 3 groups:
17719 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
17723 @item Matching on the body
17724 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
17725 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
17726 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
17727 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
17728 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
17729 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
17730 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
17733 @item Marking as read
17734 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
17735 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
17736 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
17740 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
17742 @item Negated character classes
17743 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
17744 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
17745 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
17749 @node Reverse Scoring
17750 @section Reverse Scoring
17751 @cindex reverse scoring
17753 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
17754 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
17755 like this in your score file:
17759 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
17764 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
17765 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
17768 @node Global Score Files
17769 @section Global Score Files
17770 @cindex global score files
17772 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
17773 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
17774 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
17776 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
17777 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
17778 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
17780 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
17781 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
17782 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
17783 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
17784 files are applicable to which group.
17786 To use the score file
17787 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
17788 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
17792 (setq gnus-global-score-files
17793 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
17794 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
17797 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
17799 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
17800 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
17801 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
17802 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
17804 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
17805 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
17807 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
17808 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
17809 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
17810 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
17811 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
17812 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
17814 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
17820 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
17822 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
17824 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
17826 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
17827 lowered out of existence.
17829 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
17830 articles completely.
17833 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
17834 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
17835 old articles for a long time.
17838 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
17839 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
17840 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
17841 holding our breath yet?
17845 @section Kill Files
17848 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
17849 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
17850 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
17852 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
17853 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
17854 files into score files.
17856 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
17857 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
17858 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
17859 that isn't a very good idea.
17861 Normal kill files look like this:
17864 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17865 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
17869 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
17870 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
17872 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
17873 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
17876 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
17881 @kindex M-k (Summary)
17882 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
17883 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
17886 @kindex M-K (Summary)
17887 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
17888 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
17891 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
17896 @kindex M-k (Group)
17897 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
17898 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
17901 @kindex M-K (Group)
17902 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
17903 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
17906 Kill file variables:
17909 @item gnus-kill-file-name
17910 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
17911 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
17912 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
17913 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
17914 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
17915 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
17917 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
17918 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
17919 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
17920 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
17923 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
17924 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
17925 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
17926 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
17927 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
17928 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
17929 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
17930 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
17931 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
17933 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
17934 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
17935 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
17940 @node Converting Kill Files
17941 @section Converting Kill Files
17943 @cindex converting kill files
17945 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
17946 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
17947 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
17950 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
17951 You can fetch it from
17952 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
17954 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
17955 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
17956 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
17964 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
17965 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
17966 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
17967 news articles generated every day.
17969 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
17970 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
17971 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
17972 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
17973 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
17974 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
17975 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
17976 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
17979 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
17980 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
17983 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
17984 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
17985 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
17986 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
17990 @node Using GroupLens
17991 @subsection Using GroupLens
17993 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
17995 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
17996 better bit in town at the moment.
17998 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18002 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18003 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18004 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18005 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18007 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18008 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18009 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18010 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18012 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18013 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18014 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18018 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18019 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18020 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18021 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18022 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18023 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18026 @node Rating Articles
18027 @subsection Rating Articles
18029 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18030 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18031 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18032 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18035 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18040 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18041 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18042 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18045 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18046 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18047 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18048 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18049 threads in rec.humor.
18053 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18054 the score of the article you're reading.
18059 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18060 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18061 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18064 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18065 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18066 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18070 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18071 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18074 @node Displaying Predictions
18075 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18077 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18078 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18079 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18080 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18081 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18083 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18084 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18085 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18086 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18087 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18088 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18089 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18090 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18091 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18092 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18093 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18094 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18095 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18097 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18098 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18099 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18100 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18102 The following are valid values for that variable.
18105 @item prediction-spot
18106 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18109 @item confidence-interval
18110 A numeric confidence interval.
18112 @item prediction-bar
18113 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18115 @item confidence-bar
18116 Numerical confidence.
18118 @item confidence-spot
18119 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
18121 @item prediction-num
18122 Plain-old numeric value.
18124 @item confidence-plus-minus
18125 Prediction +/- confidence.
18130 @node GroupLens Variables
18131 @subsection GroupLens Variables
18135 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
18136 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
18137 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
18138 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
18141 @item grouplens-bbb-host
18142 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
18145 @item grouplens-bbb-port
18146 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
18148 @item grouplens-score-offset
18149 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
18150 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
18153 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
18154 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
18155 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
18160 @node Advanced Scoring
18161 @section Advanced Scoring
18163 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
18164 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
18165 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
18166 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
18167 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
18169 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
18173 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
18174 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
18175 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
18179 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
18180 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
18182 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
18183 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
18184 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
18185 non-@code{nil} value.
18187 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
18188 operator, and various match operators.
18195 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18196 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
18197 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
18202 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18203 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
18204 then this operator will return @code{false}.
18209 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
18210 logical negation of the value of its argument.
18214 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
18215 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
18216 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
18217 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
18218 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
18219 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
18220 the ancestry you want to go.
18222 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
18223 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
18224 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
18225 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
18226 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
18229 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
18230 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
18232 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
18233 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
18236 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
18237 when he's talking about Gnus:
18241 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18242 ("subject" "Gnus"))
18248 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
18252 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18259 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
18260 really don't want to read what he's written:
18264 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18265 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
18269 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
18270 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
18271 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
18278 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
18279 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
18280 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
18281 ("body" "white.*socks"))
18285 The possibilities are endless.
18288 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
18289 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
18291 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
18292 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
18293 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
18294 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
18295 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
18296 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
18297 @samp{subject}) first.
18299 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
18300 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
18311 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
18312 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
18318 ("subject" "Gnus")))
18325 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
18326 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
18331 @section Score Decays
18332 @cindex score decays
18335 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
18336 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
18337 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
18338 use them in any sensible way.
18340 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
18341 @findex gnus-decay-score
18342 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
18343 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
18344 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
18345 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
18346 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
18347 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
18348 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
18349 definition of that function:
18352 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
18354 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
18355 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
18358 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
18360 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
18362 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
18365 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
18366 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
18367 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
18368 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
18372 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
18375 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
18378 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
18382 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
18383 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
18384 the new score, which should be an integer.
18386 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
18387 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
18392 @include message.texi
18393 @chapter Emacs MIME
18394 @include emacs-mime.texi
18396 @include sieve.texi
18404 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
18405 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
18406 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
18407 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
18408 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
18409 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
18410 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
18411 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
18412 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
18413 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
18414 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
18415 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
18416 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
18417 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
18418 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
18419 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
18420 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
18421 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
18422 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
18426 @node Process/Prefix
18427 @section Process/Prefix
18428 @cindex process/prefix convention
18430 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
18431 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
18433 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
18434 command to be performed on.
18438 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
18439 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
18440 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
18441 with the current one.
18443 @vindex transient-mark-mode
18444 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
18445 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
18447 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
18448 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
18451 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
18452 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
18454 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
18457 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
18458 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
18459 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
18460 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
18462 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
18463 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
18464 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
18465 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
18466 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
18467 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
18468 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
18469 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
18471 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
18472 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
18473 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
18474 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
18475 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
18479 @section Interactive
18480 @cindex interaction
18484 @item gnus-novice-user
18485 @vindex gnus-novice-user
18486 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
18487 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
18488 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
18489 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
18492 @item gnus-expert-user
18493 @vindex gnus-expert-user
18494 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
18495 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
18496 matter how strange.
18498 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
18499 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
18500 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
18501 is @code{t} by default.
18503 @item gnus-interactive-exit
18504 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
18505 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
18510 @node Symbolic Prefixes
18511 @section Symbolic Prefixes
18512 @cindex symbolic prefixes
18514 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
18515 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
18516 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
18517 rule of 900 to the current article.
18519 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
18520 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
18521 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
18522 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
18523 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
18524 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
18525 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
18527 @kindex M-i (Summary)
18528 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
18529 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
18530 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
18531 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
18532 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
18533 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
18534 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
18535 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
18537 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
18538 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
18539 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
18541 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
18545 @node Formatting Variables
18546 @section Formatting Variables
18547 @cindex formatting variables
18549 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
18550 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
18551 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
18552 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
18553 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
18556 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
18557 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
18558 lots of percentages everywhere.
18561 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
18562 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
18563 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
18564 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
18565 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
18566 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
18567 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
18568 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
18571 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
18572 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
18573 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
18574 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
18575 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
18576 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
18577 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
18578 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
18580 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
18581 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
18583 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
18584 @findex gnus-update-format
18585 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
18586 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
18587 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
18588 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
18592 @node Formatting Basics
18593 @subsection Formatting Basics
18595 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
18596 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
18597 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
18599 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
18600 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
18601 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
18602 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
18603 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
18606 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
18607 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
18608 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
18609 less than 4 characters wide.
18611 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
18612 @samp{%&user-date;}.
18615 @node Mode Line Formatting
18616 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
18618 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
18619 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
18620 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
18621 with the following two differences:
18626 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
18629 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
18630 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
18631 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
18632 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
18633 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
18634 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
18635 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
18640 @node Advanced Formatting
18641 @subsection Advanced Formatting
18643 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
18644 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
18645 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
18646 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
18648 These are the valid modifiers:
18653 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
18657 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
18662 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
18665 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
18670 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
18673 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
18676 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
18679 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
18685 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
18690 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
18691 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
18692 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
18693 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
18694 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
18695 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
18696 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
18698 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
18699 last operation, padding.
18701 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
18702 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
18703 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
18704 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
18705 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
18706 the look of your lines.
18707 @xref{Compilation}.
18710 @node User-Defined Specs
18711 @subsection User-Defined Specs
18713 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
18714 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
18715 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
18716 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
18717 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
18718 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
18719 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
18720 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
18721 should protect against that.
18723 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
18724 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
18726 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
18727 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
18728 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
18729 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
18733 @node Formatting Fonts
18734 @subsection Formatting Fonts
18736 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
18737 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
18738 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
18739 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
18742 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
18743 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
18744 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
18745 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
18746 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
18747 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
18749 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
18750 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
18751 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
18752 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
18753 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
18754 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
18755 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
18756 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
18758 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
18761 ;; Create three face types.
18762 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
18763 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
18765 ;; We want the article count to be in
18766 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
18767 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
18768 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
18770 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
18771 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
18773 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
18774 (setq gnus-group-line-format
18775 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
18778 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
18779 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
18781 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
18782 mode-line variables.
18784 @node Positioning Point
18785 @subsection Positioning Point
18787 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
18788 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
18789 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
18791 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
18793 @findex gnus-goto-colon
18794 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
18795 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
18797 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
18798 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%C} specifier. If you
18799 put a @samp{%C} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
18804 @subsection Tabulation
18806 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
18807 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
18808 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
18809 about lining up the following text afterwards.
18811 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
18812 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
18814 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
18815 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
18816 This is the soft tabulator.
18818 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
18819 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
18820 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
18823 @node Wide Characters
18824 @subsection Wide Characters
18826 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
18827 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
18828 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
18830 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
18831 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
18832 these coutries, that's not true.
18834 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
18835 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
18836 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
18837 prettieer. The default value is @code{t}.
18841 @node Window Layout
18842 @section Window Layout
18843 @cindex window layout
18845 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
18847 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
18848 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
18849 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
18850 @code{t} by default.
18852 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
18853 glitches. Use at your own peril.
18855 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
18856 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
18857 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
18860 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
18861 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
18862 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
18866 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
18867 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
18868 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
18869 possible names is listed below.
18871 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
18872 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
18875 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
18879 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
18880 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
18881 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
18882 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
18883 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
18884 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
18885 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
18886 size spec per split.
18888 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
18889 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
18890 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
18891 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
18892 present) gets focus.
18894 Here's a more complicated example:
18897 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
18898 (summary 0.25 point)
18899 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
18903 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
18904 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
18905 occupy, not a percentage.
18907 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
18908 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
18909 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
18910 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
18911 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
18914 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
18917 (article (horizontal 1.0
18922 (summary 0.25 point)
18927 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
18928 @code{horizontal} thingie?
18930 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
18931 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
18932 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
18933 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
18934 the screen is to be given to this strip.
18936 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
18937 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
18938 lines from the splits.
18940 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
18944 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
18945 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
18946 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
18947 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
18948 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
18949 size = number | frame-params
18950 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
18953 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
18954 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
18955 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
18956 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
18958 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
18959 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
18960 @cindex window height
18961 @cindex window width
18962 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
18963 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
18964 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
18965 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
18966 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
18967 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
18969 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
18970 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
18971 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
18972 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
18974 @findex gnus-configure-frame
18975 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
18976 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
18977 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
18978 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
18979 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
18980 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
18981 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
18982 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
18983 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
18984 configuration list.
18987 (gnus-configure-frame
18991 (article 0.3 point))
18999 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19000 @code{frame} split:
19003 (gnus-configure-frame
19006 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19008 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19009 (user-position . t)
19010 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19015 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19016 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19017 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19018 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19019 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19020 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19021 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19022 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19024 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19025 be found in its default value.
19027 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19028 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19029 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19033 (message (horizontal 1.0
19034 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19036 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19041 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19042 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19043 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19048 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19049 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19050 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19051 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19052 (name . "Message"))
19053 (message 1.0 point))))
19056 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19057 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19058 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19059 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19060 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19063 (gnus-add-configuration
19064 '(article (vertical 1.0
19066 (summary .25 point)
19070 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19071 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19072 Gnus has been loaded.
19074 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19075 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19076 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19077 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19078 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19080 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19081 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19082 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19085 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19089 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19090 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19105 (gnus-add-configuration
19108 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19110 (summary 0.16 point)
19113 (gnus-add-configuration
19116 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19117 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
19123 @node Faces and Fonts
19124 @section Faces and Fonts
19129 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
19130 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
19131 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
19136 @section Compilation
19137 @cindex compilation
19138 @cindex byte-compilation
19140 @findex gnus-compile
19142 Remember all those line format specification variables?
19143 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
19144 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
19145 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
19146 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
19147 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
19148 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
19149 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
19152 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
19153 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
19154 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
19155 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
19156 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19159 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
19160 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
19161 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
19162 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
19163 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
19168 @section Mode Lines
19171 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
19172 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
19173 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
19174 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
19175 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
19176 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
19177 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
19180 @cindex display-time
19182 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
19183 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
19184 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
19185 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
19186 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
19187 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
19188 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
19189 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
19192 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
19194 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
19195 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
19197 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
19198 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
19199 (length display-time-string)))))
19202 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
19203 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
19204 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
19205 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
19206 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
19209 @node Highlighting and Menus
19210 @section Highlighting and Menus
19212 @cindex highlighting
19215 @vindex gnus-visual
19216 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
19217 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
19218 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
19221 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
19222 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
19225 @item group-highlight
19226 Do highlights in the group buffer.
19227 @item summary-highlight
19228 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
19229 @item article-highlight
19230 Do highlights in the article buffer.
19232 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
19234 Create menus in the group buffer.
19236 Create menus in the summary buffers.
19238 Create menus in the article buffer.
19240 Create menus in the browse buffer.
19242 Create menus in the server buffer.
19244 Create menus in the score buffers.
19246 Create menus in all buffers.
19249 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
19250 buffers, you could say something like:
19253 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
19256 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
19259 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
19262 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
19263 in all Gnus buffers.
19265 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
19268 @item gnus-mouse-face
19269 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
19270 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
19271 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
19275 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
19279 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
19280 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
19281 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
19283 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
19284 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
19285 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
19287 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
19288 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
19289 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
19291 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
19292 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
19293 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
19295 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
19296 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
19297 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
19299 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
19300 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
19301 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
19312 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
19313 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
19314 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
19315 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
19316 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
19320 @vindex gnus-carpal
19321 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
19322 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
19323 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
19328 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19329 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19330 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
19332 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
19333 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
19334 Face used on buttons.
19336 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
19337 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
19338 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
19340 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19341 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19342 Buttons in the group buffer.
19344 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19345 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19346 Buttons in the summary buffer.
19348 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19349 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19350 Buttons in the server buffer.
19352 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19353 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19354 Buttons in the browse buffer.
19357 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
19358 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
19359 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
19367 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
19368 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
19369 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
19370 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
19371 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
19373 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
19374 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
19375 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
19377 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
19378 been idle for thirty minutes:
19381 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
19384 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
19388 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
19391 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
19392 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
19393 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19395 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
19396 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
19397 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
19398 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19400 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
19401 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
19402 @var{idle} minutes.
19404 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
19405 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
19408 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
19409 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
19410 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
19412 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
19413 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
19414 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
19415 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
19417 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
19418 your @file{.gnus} file:
19420 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
19422 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
19425 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
19426 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
19427 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
19428 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
19429 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
19430 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
19431 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
19432 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
19433 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
19434 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
19435 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
19437 @findex gnus-demon-init
19438 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
19439 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
19440 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
19441 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
19442 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
19444 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
19445 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
19446 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
19455 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
19456 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
19458 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
19459 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
19460 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
19461 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
19464 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
19465 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
19466 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
19467 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
19469 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
19470 this will make spam disappear.
19472 There are some variables to customize, of course:
19475 @item gnus-use-nocem
19476 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
19477 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
19480 @item gnus-nocem-groups
19481 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
19482 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
19483 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
19484 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
19486 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
19487 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
19488 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
19489 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
19490 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
19491 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
19493 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
19494 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
19496 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
19497 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
19498 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
19499 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
19500 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
19501 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
19502 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
19503 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
19504 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
19505 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
19507 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
19508 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
19511 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
19514 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
19515 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
19518 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
19521 The specs are applied left-to-right.
19524 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
19525 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
19527 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
19528 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
19529 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
19530 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
19532 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
19533 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
19536 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
19538 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
19546 This might be dangerous, though.
19548 @item gnus-nocem-directory
19549 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
19550 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
19551 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
19553 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
19554 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
19555 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
19556 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
19557 might then see old spam.
19559 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
19560 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
19561 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
19562 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
19563 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
19566 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
19567 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
19568 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
19569 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
19573 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
19574 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
19575 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
19576 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
19583 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
19584 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
19585 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
19587 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
19588 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
19589 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
19590 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
19591 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
19592 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
19593 @code{undo} function.
19595 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
19596 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
19597 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
19598 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
19599 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
19600 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
19601 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
19602 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
19603 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
19604 never be totally undoable.
19606 @findex gnus-undo-mode
19607 @vindex gnus-use-undo
19609 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
19610 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
19611 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
19612 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
19616 @node Predicate Specifiers
19617 @section Predicate Specifiers
19618 @cindex predicate specifiers
19620 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
19621 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
19622 to type all that much.
19624 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
19629 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
19630 gnus-article-unread-p)
19633 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
19634 functions all take one parameter.
19636 @findex gnus-make-predicate
19637 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
19638 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
19639 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
19644 @section Moderation
19647 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
19648 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
19649 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
19652 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
19656 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
19659 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
19661 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
19666 You split your incoming mail by matching on
19667 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
19668 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
19671 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
19672 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
19675 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
19676 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
19680 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
19683 (setq gnus-moderated-list
19684 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
19688 @node Image Enhancements
19689 @section Image Enhancements
19691 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
19692 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
19695 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
19696 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
19697 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
19698 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
19699 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
19712 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
19713 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
19714 over your shoulder as you read news.
19717 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
19718 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
19719 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
19720 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
19721 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
19726 @subsubsection Picon Basics
19728 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
19737 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
19738 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
19739 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
19740 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
19741 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
19742 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
19743 @code{GIF} formats.
19746 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19747 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
19748 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
19749 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
19750 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
19752 @vindex gnus-picons-database
19753 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
19754 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
19755 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
19756 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
19757 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
19759 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
19760 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
19763 @node Picon Requirements
19764 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
19766 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
19767 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
19768 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
19769 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
19771 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
19772 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
19773 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
19774 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
19775 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
19776 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
19779 @subsubsection Easy Picons
19781 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
19782 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
19785 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
19786 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
19789 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
19790 containing the Picons databases.
19792 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
19795 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19796 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
19801 @subsubsection Hard Picons
19809 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
19810 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
19811 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
19812 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
19813 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
19818 @item gnus-picons-database
19819 @vindex gnus-picons-database
19820 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
19821 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
19822 subdirectories. This is only useful if
19823 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
19824 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
19826 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19827 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
19828 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
19829 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
19830 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
19831 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
19832 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
19834 @item gnus-picons-display-where
19835 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
19836 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
19837 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
19838 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
19839 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
19840 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
19841 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
19843 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
19844 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
19845 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
19850 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
19851 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
19853 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
19854 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
19857 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
19859 @item gnus-article-display-picons
19860 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
19861 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
19862 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
19864 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
19865 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
19866 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
19867 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
19873 @node Picon Useless Configuration
19874 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
19882 The following variables offer further control over how things are
19883 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
19884 don't need to worry about.
19888 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
19889 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
19890 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
19891 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
19893 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
19894 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
19895 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
19896 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
19898 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
19899 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
19900 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
19901 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
19902 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
19904 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
19905 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
19906 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
19907 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
19908 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
19909 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
19910 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
19911 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
19913 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
19914 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
19915 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
19916 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
19917 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
19919 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
19920 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
19921 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
19922 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
19923 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
19924 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
19925 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
19927 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
19928 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
19929 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
19930 Defaults to @code{nil}.
19932 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
19933 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
19934 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
19935 Defaults to @code{t}.
19937 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
19938 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
19939 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
19940 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
19942 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
19943 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
19944 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
19946 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
19947 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
19948 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
19949 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
19951 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
19952 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
19954 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
19955 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
19956 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
19957 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
19958 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
19959 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
19960 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
19961 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
19972 @subsection Smileys
19977 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
19982 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
19983 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
19985 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
19986 @file{.gnus.el} file:
19989 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
19992 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
19993 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
19994 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
19995 text and maps that to file names.
19997 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
19998 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
19999 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20000 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20001 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20002 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20004 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20005 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20007 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20008 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20009 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20011 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20012 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20016 @item smiley-data-directory
20017 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20018 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20020 @item smiley-flesh-color
20021 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20022 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20024 @item smiley-features-color
20025 @vindex smiley-features-color
20026 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20028 @item smiley-tongue-color
20029 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20030 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20032 @item smiley-circle-color
20033 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20034 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20036 @item smiley-mouse-face
20037 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20038 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20047 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20048 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20049 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20053 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20054 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20055 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20056 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20064 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20065 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20066 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20067 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20069 The variable that controls this is the
20070 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20071 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20072 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20073 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20074 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20076 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20077 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20078 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20079 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20082 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20083 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20084 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20085 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20086 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20087 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20088 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20089 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20091 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20094 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20095 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20097 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20098 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files
20099 in @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20100 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20101 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20102 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big.
20104 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a file as the parameter, and then
20105 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20106 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20108 Here's how you would typically use the former function. Put something
20109 like the folllowing in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20112 (setq message-required-news-headers
20113 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20114 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20117 Using the latter function would be something like this:
20120 (setq message-required-news-headers
20121 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20122 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20123 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20124 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20129 @subsection Toolbar
20139 @item gnus-use-toolbar
20140 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
20141 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
20142 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
20143 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
20145 @item gnus-group-toolbar
20146 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
20147 The toolbar in the group buffer.
20149 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
20150 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
20151 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
20153 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20154 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20155 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
20161 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20164 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20165 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20166 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20167 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20168 unusual directory structure.
20170 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20171 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20172 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20173 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
20175 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20176 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20177 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
20178 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
20179 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
20180 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
20182 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20183 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20184 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
20198 @node Fuzzy Matching
20199 @section Fuzzy Matching
20200 @cindex fuzzy matching
20202 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
20203 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
20205 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
20206 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
20207 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
20209 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
20210 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
20211 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
20212 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
20213 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
20216 @node Thwarting Email Spam
20217 @section Thwarting Email Spam
20221 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20223 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
20224 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
20225 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
20226 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
20227 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
20228 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
20229 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
20230 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
20233 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
20234 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
20235 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
20236 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
20237 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
20238 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
20242 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
20243 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
20245 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
20246 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
20247 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
20248 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
20249 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
20250 part of the mail address.)
20253 (setq message-default-news-headers
20254 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
20257 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
20258 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
20263 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
20264 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
20265 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
20271 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
20272 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
20273 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
20274 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
20276 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
20277 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
20278 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
20279 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
20280 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
20281 your fancy split rule in this way:
20286 (to "larsi" "misc")
20290 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
20291 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
20292 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
20293 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
20294 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
20296 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
20297 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
20298 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
20299 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
20300 cosmic balance somewhat.
20302 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
20303 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
20304 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
20305 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
20308 @node Various Various
20309 @section Various Various
20315 @item gnus-home-directory
20316 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
20317 defaults to @file{~/}.
20319 @item gnus-directory
20320 @vindex gnus-directory
20321 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
20322 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
20323 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
20325 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
20326 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
20327 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
20328 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
20330 @item gnus-default-directory
20331 @vindex gnus-default-directory
20332 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
20333 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
20334 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
20335 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
20336 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
20337 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
20340 @vindex gnus-verbose
20341 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
20342 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
20343 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
20344 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
20345 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
20347 @item gnus-verbose-backends
20348 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
20349 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
20350 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
20352 @item nnheader-max-head-length
20353 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
20354 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
20355 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
20356 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
20357 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
20358 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
20359 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
20360 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
20361 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
20363 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
20364 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
20365 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
20366 read when doing the operation described above.
20368 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20369 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20371 @cindex invalid characters in file names
20372 @cindex characters in file names
20373 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
20374 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
20375 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
20378 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20382 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
20383 Windows (phooey) systems.
20385 @item gnus-hidden-properties
20386 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
20387 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
20388 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
20389 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
20391 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
20392 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
20393 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
20394 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
20395 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
20397 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
20398 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
20399 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
20401 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
20402 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
20404 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
20405 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
20406 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
20407 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
20410 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
20418 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
20419 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
20421 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
20423 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
20429 Not because of victories @*
20432 but for the common sunshine,@*
20434 the largess of the spring.
20438 but for the day's work done@*
20439 as well as I was able;@*
20440 not for a seat upon the dais@*
20441 but at the common table.@*
20446 @chapter Appendices
20449 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
20450 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
20451 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
20452 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
20453 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
20454 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
20455 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
20456 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
20457 * Frequently Asked Questions::
20464 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
20466 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
20467 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
20468 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
20469 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
20470 @samp{xemacs-base}, and @samp{fsf-compat}.
20477 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
20478 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
20480 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
20481 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
20482 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
20483 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
20484 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
20486 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
20487 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
20488 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
20489 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
20490 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
20491 appropriate name, don't you think?)
20493 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
20494 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
20495 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
20496 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
20499 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
20500 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
20501 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
20502 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
20503 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
20504 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
20505 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
20506 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
20507 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
20511 @node Gnus Versions
20512 @subsection Gnus Versions
20514 @cindex September Gnus
20516 @cindex Quassia Gnus
20517 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
20521 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
20522 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
20523 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
20525 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
20526 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
20528 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
20529 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
20531 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
20532 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
20534 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
20535 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
20538 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
20540 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
20541 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
20542 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
20543 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
20544 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
20545 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
20548 @node Other Gnus Versions
20549 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
20552 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
20553 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
20554 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
20555 @sc{mime} capabilities.
20557 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
20558 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
20559 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
20560 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
20567 What's the point of Gnus?
20569 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
20570 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
20571 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
20572 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
20573 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
20574 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
20575 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
20576 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
20577 keep track of millions of people who post?
20579 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
20580 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
20581 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
20582 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
20583 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
20584 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
20585 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
20586 every one of you to explore and invent.
20588 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
20589 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
20592 @node Compatibility
20593 @subsection Compatibility
20595 @cindex compatibility
20596 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
20597 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
20598 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
20603 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
20607 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
20610 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
20613 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
20614 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
20615 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
20616 important variables have their values copied into their global
20617 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
20618 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
20620 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
20621 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
20622 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
20623 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
20624 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
20628 @cindex highlighting
20629 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
20630 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
20631 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
20632 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
20633 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
20634 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
20637 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
20638 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
20639 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
20640 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
20642 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
20643 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
20644 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
20645 to stop doing it the old way.
20647 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
20649 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
20651 @cindex reporting bugs
20653 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
20654 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
20655 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
20657 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
20658 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
20659 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
20660 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
20665 @subsection Conformity
20667 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
20668 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
20676 There are no known breaches of this standard.
20680 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
20682 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
20683 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
20684 We do have some breaches to this one.
20690 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
20691 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
20692 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
20693 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
20694 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
20699 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
20700 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
20701 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
20702 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
20704 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
20706 All the various MIME RFCs are supported.
20708 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2289
20709 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
20711 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
20714 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
20715 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
20716 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-MIME aware PGP
20717 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
20718 decoding (verification and decryption).
20720 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
20721 RFC 2015 (superceded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
20722 1991) describes the MIME-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
20723 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
20725 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
20726 RFC 2633 describes the S/MIME format.
20728 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
20729 RFC 1730 is IMAP version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (IMAP 4
20730 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for IMAP. RFC
20731 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for IMAP. RFC 2359
20732 describes a IMAP protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
20733 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with IMAP. RFC 1731 describes the
20734 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for IMAP.
20738 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
20739 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
20744 @subsection Emacsen
20750 Gnus should work on :
20758 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
20762 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
20763 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
20764 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
20765 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
20766 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
20768 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
20769 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
20770 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
20774 @node Gnus Development
20775 @subsection Gnus Development
20777 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
20778 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
20779 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
20780 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
20781 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
20782 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
20783 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
20784 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
20786 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
20787 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
20788 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
20789 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
20790 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
20793 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
20794 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
20795 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
20796 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
20797 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
20799 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
20800 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
20801 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
20802 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
20803 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
20804 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
20805 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
20806 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
20807 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
20808 can't be assumed to do so.
20813 @subsection Contributors
20814 @cindex contributors
20816 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
20817 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
20818 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
20819 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
20820 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
20821 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
20822 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
20823 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
20824 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
20825 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
20827 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
20833 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
20836 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
20837 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
20838 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
20839 functionality and stuff.
20842 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
20843 well as numerous other things).
20846 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
20849 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
20852 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
20855 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
20858 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
20859 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
20862 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
20865 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
20866 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
20869 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
20872 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
20875 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
20878 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
20881 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
20882 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
20885 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
20888 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
20891 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
20894 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
20898 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
20901 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
20904 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
20907 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
20908 well as autoconf support.
20912 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
20913 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
20915 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
20924 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
20928 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
20938 Alexei V. Barantsev,
20953 Massimo Campostrini,
20958 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
20959 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
20963 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
20966 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
20972 Michael Welsh Duggan,
20977 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
20981 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
20989 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
20991 Michelangelo Grigni,
20995 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
20997 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
20999 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
21006 François Felix Ingrand,
21007 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
21008 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
21010 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
21021 Peter Skov Knudsen,
21022 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
21024 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
21025 Thor Kristoffersen,
21028 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
21046 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
21047 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
21054 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
21059 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
21063 John McClary Prevost,
21069 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
21074 Christian von Roques,
21077 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
21084 Philippe Schnoebelen,
21086 Randal L. Schwartz,
21100 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
21105 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
21121 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
21126 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
21127 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
21128 (550kB and counting).
21130 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
21133 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
21134 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
21138 @subsection New Features
21139 @cindex new features
21142 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
21143 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
21144 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
21145 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
21146 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
21149 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
21150 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
21151 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
21154 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
21156 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
21161 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
21162 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
21165 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
21166 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
21169 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
21172 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
21173 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
21174 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
21177 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
21178 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
21179 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
21180 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21183 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
21184 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21187 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
21188 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
21189 (@pxref{The Active File}).
21192 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
21193 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
21196 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
21197 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
21198 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21201 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
21202 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
21203 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
21206 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
21207 the @file{.emacs} file.
21210 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
21211 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
21214 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
21215 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
21218 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
21219 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21222 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
21223 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
21226 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
21227 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21230 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
21233 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
21234 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
21237 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
21238 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
21241 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
21242 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
21245 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
21248 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
21249 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
21252 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
21256 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
21260 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
21261 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
21264 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
21270 @node September Gnus
21271 @subsubsection September Gnus
21275 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
21279 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
21284 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
21285 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
21289 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
21290 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
21294 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
21298 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
21299 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
21302 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
21306 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
21309 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
21312 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
21315 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
21319 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
21320 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
21323 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
21327 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
21331 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
21335 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
21339 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
21342 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
21343 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
21346 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
21350 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
21351 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
21354 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
21357 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
21358 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
21359 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
21362 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
21366 The Gnus cache is much faster.
21369 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
21373 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
21374 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
21377 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
21378 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
21381 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
21382 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21385 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
21386 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
21387 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
21390 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
21391 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
21394 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
21397 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
21400 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
21403 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
21406 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
21407 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
21410 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
21414 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
21417 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
21422 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
21425 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
21429 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21432 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
21436 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
21439 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
21442 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
21443 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21446 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
21447 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
21451 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
21452 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
21455 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
21459 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
21460 buffer to allow easier treatment.
21463 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
21466 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
21470 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
21474 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
21475 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
21478 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
21482 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
21483 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
21486 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
21487 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
21490 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
21494 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
21497 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
21500 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
21506 @subsubsection Red Gnus
21508 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
21512 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
21519 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
21522 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
21523 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21526 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
21527 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
21531 Article washing status can be displayed in the
21532 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
21535 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
21538 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
21539 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
21542 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
21546 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
21547 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
21551 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
21552 Server Internals}).
21555 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
21559 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
21562 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
21563 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
21566 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
21567 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
21568 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
21571 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
21572 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
21575 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
21576 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
21579 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
21583 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
21584 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21587 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
21588 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21591 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
21595 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
21598 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
21602 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
21603 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21606 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
21607 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
21610 A new command for reading collections of documents
21611 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
21612 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
21615 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
21619 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
21620 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
21623 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
21624 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
21625 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
21628 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
21629 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
21633 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
21637 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
21641 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
21646 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
21650 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
21654 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
21655 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
21658 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
21664 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
21666 New features in Gnus 5.6:
21671 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
21672 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
21673 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
21676 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
21677 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
21678 group, which is created automatically.
21681 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
21685 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
21688 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
21689 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
21692 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
21696 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
21699 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
21700 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
21703 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
21706 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
21707 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
21710 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
21711 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
21714 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
21715 control over simplification.
21718 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
21721 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
21725 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
21728 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
21731 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
21732 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
21733 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
21736 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
21737 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
21740 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
21744 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
21745 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
21748 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
21749 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
21752 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
21756 A history of where mails have been split is available.
21759 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
21762 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
21763 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
21766 A new function for citing in Message has been
21767 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
21770 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
21773 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
21777 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
21778 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
21781 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
21782 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
21785 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
21788 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
21792 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
21793 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
21795 New features in Gnus 5.8:
21800 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
21801 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
21803 If you used procmail like in
21806 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
21807 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
21808 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
21809 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
21812 this now has changed to
21816 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
21820 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
21821 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
21824 Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
21825 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
21828 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
21829 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
21832 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
21833 called to position point.
21836 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
21837 summary buffers and NOV files.
21840 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
21841 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
21844 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
21845 subtly different manner.
21848 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
21849 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
21850 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
21853 Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
21861 @section The Manual
21865 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
21866 either @code{texi2dvi}
21868 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
21869 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
21871 to get what you hold in your hands now.
21873 The following conventions have been used:
21878 This is a @samp{string}
21881 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
21884 This is a @file{file}
21887 This is a @code{symbol}
21891 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
21895 (setq flargnoze "yes")
21898 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
21901 (setq flumphel 'yes)
21904 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
21905 ever get them confused.
21909 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
21910 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
21911 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
21912 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
21913 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
21914 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
21915 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
21921 @node On Writing Manuals
21922 @section On Writing Manuals
21924 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
21925 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
21926 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
21927 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
21928 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
21929 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
21932 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
21933 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
21934 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
21937 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
21938 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
21943 @section Terminology
21945 @cindex terminology
21950 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
21951 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
21952 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
21953 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
21954 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
21958 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
21959 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
21960 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
21961 not posting, and replying is not following up.
21965 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
21969 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
21974 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of back ends, both news and mail
21975 back ends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
21976 is all done by the back ends.
21980 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
21981 default, way of getting news.
21985 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
21986 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
21991 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
21992 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
21996 A message that has been posted as news.
21999 @cindex mail message
22000 A message that has been mailed.
22004 A mail message or news article
22008 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
22013 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
22018 A line from the head of an article.
22022 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
22023 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
22027 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
22028 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
22029 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
22030 normal @sc{head} format.
22034 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
22035 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
22036 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
22037 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
22038 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
22039 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
22041 @item killed groups
22042 @cindex killed groups
22043 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
22044 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
22046 @item zombie groups
22047 @cindex zombie groups
22048 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
22051 @cindex active file
22052 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
22053 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
22054 is rather large, as you might surmise.
22057 @cindex bogus groups
22058 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
22059 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
22060 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
22063 @cindex activating groups
22064 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
22065 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
22066 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
22070 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
22072 @item select method
22073 @cindex select method
22074 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
22077 @item virtual server
22078 @cindex virtual server
22079 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
22080 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
22081 whole is a virtual server.
22085 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
22086 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
22089 @item ephemeral groups
22090 @cindex ephemeral groups
22091 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
22092 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
22093 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
22096 @cindex solid groups
22097 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
22098 group buffer are solid groups.
22100 @item sparse articles
22101 @cindex sparse articles
22102 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
22103 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
22107 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
22108 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
22112 @cindex thread root
22113 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
22114 articles in the thread.
22118 An article that has responses.
22122 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
22126 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
22127 specified by RFC 1153.
22133 @node Customization
22134 @section Customization
22135 @cindex general customization
22137 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
22138 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
22139 for some quite common situations.
22142 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
22143 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
22144 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
22145 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
22149 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
22150 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
22152 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
22153 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
22154 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
22158 @item gnus-read-active-file
22159 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
22160 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
22161 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22162 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
22163 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
22165 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
22166 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
22167 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
22168 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
22172 @node Slow Terminal Connection
22173 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
22175 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
22176 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
22177 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
22181 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
22182 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
22183 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
22184 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
22185 horizontal and vertical recentering.
22187 @item gnus-visible-headers
22188 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
22189 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
22190 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
22191 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
22193 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
22195 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
22196 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
22197 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
22200 @item gnus-use-full-window
22201 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
22202 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
22203 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
22204 want to read them anyway.
22206 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
22207 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
22210 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
22211 Avaliable predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
22212 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
22217 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
22218 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
22219 gnus-article-unseen-p))
22222 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
22223 unread, but you get my drift.)
22226 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
22227 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
22228 lines, which might save some time.
22232 @node Little Disk Space
22233 @subsection Little Disk Space
22236 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
22237 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
22241 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
22242 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
22243 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22244 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22247 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
22248 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
22249 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22250 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22253 @item gnus-save-killed-list
22254 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
22255 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
22256 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
22257 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
22263 @subsection Slow Machine
22264 @cindex slow machine
22266 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
22267 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
22269 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22270 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
22272 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
22273 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
22274 summary buffer faster.
22278 @node Troubleshooting
22279 @section Troubleshooting
22280 @cindex troubleshooting
22282 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
22290 Make sure your computer is switched on.
22293 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
22294 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
22298 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
22299 like @samp{T-gnus 6.15.* (based on Oort Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
22300 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
22301 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
22302 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
22305 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
22309 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
22310 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
22311 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
22312 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
22313 something like that.
22316 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
22319 @cindex reporting bugs
22321 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
22323 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
22324 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
22325 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
22326 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
22328 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
22329 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
22330 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
22331 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
22334 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
22335 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
22336 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
22337 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
22338 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
22339 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
22341 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
22342 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
22343 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
22347 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
22348 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
22350 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
22351 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
22353 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
22354 @cindex ding mailing list
22355 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
22356 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
22360 @node Gnus Reference Guide
22361 @section Gnus Reference Guide
22363 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
22364 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
22365 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
22366 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
22369 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
22370 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
22371 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
22372 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
22373 and general methods of operation.
22376 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
22377 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
22378 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
22379 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
22380 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
22381 * Group Info:: The group info format.
22382 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
22383 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
22384 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
22388 @node Gnus Utility Functions
22389 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
22390 @cindex Gnus utility functions
22391 @cindex utility functions
22393 @cindex internal variables
22395 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
22396 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
22397 Below is a list of the most common ones.
22401 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
22402 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
22403 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
22405 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
22406 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
22407 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
22409 @item gnus-group-real-name
22410 @findex gnus-group-real-name
22411 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
22414 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
22415 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
22416 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
22417 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
22419 @item gnus-get-info
22420 @findex gnus-get-info
22421 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
22423 @item gnus-group-unread
22424 @findex gnus-group-unread
22425 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
22429 @findex gnus-active
22430 The active entry for @var{group}.
22432 @item gnus-set-active
22433 @findex gnus-set-active
22434 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
22436 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
22437 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
22438 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
22441 @item gnus-continuum-version
22442 @findex gnus-continuum-version
22443 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
22444 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
22447 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
22448 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
22449 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
22451 @item gnus-news-group-p
22452 @findex gnus-news-group-p
22453 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
22455 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
22456 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
22457 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
22459 @item gnus-server-to-method
22460 @findex gnus-server-to-method
22461 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
22463 @item gnus-server-equal
22464 @findex gnus-server-equal
22465 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
22467 @item gnus-group-native-p
22468 @findex gnus-group-native-p
22469 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
22471 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
22472 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
22473 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
22475 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
22476 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
22477 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
22479 @item group-group-find-parameter
22480 @findex group-group-find-parameter
22481 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
22482 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
22484 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
22485 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
22486 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
22488 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
22489 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
22490 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
22492 @item gnus-check-backend-function
22493 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
22494 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
22495 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
22498 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
22502 @item gnus-read-method
22503 @findex gnus-read-method
22504 Prompts the user for a select method.
22509 @node Back End Interface
22510 @subsection Back End Interface
22512 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
22513 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
22514 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
22515 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
22516 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
22517 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
22519 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
22520 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
22521 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
22522 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
22523 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
22524 been opened, the function should fail.
22526 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
22527 name. Take this example:
22531 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
22532 (nntp-port-number 4324))
22535 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
22536 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
22538 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
22539 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
22540 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
22542 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
22543 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
22544 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
22546 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
22547 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
22548 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
22549 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
22550 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
22551 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
22554 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
22555 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
22556 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
22557 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
22560 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
22561 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
22562 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
22563 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
22564 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
22565 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
22566 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
22567 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
22568 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
22569 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
22571 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
22572 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
22573 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
22574 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
22575 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
22576 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
22577 of numbers as long as possible.
22579 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
22582 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
22585 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
22586 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
22587 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
22588 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
22589 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
22590 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
22594 @node Required Back End Functions
22595 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
22599 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
22601 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
22602 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
22603 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
22604 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
22606 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
22607 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
22608 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
22609 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
22611 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
22612 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
22613 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
22614 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
22615 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
22616 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
22617 number, do maximum fetches.
22619 Here's an example HEAD:
22622 221 1056 Article retrieved.
22623 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
22624 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
22625 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
22626 Subject: Re: Something very droll
22627 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
22628 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
22630 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
22631 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
22632 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
22636 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
22637 these in the data buffer.
22639 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
22643 head = error / valid-head
22644 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
22645 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
22646 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
22647 header = <text> eol
22650 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
22651 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
22655 nov-buffer = *nov-line
22656 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
22657 field = <text except TAB>
22660 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
22664 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
22666 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
22667 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
22669 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
22670 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
22671 server. In fact, it should do so.
22673 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
22674 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
22677 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
22679 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
22680 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
22683 There should be no data returned.
22686 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
22688 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
22689 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
22690 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
22691 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
22693 There should be no data returned.
22696 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
22698 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
22699 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
22700 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
22701 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
22703 There should be no data returned.
22706 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
22708 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
22710 There should be no data returned.
22713 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
22715 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
22716 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
22717 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
22718 it would be nice if that were possible.
22720 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
22721 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
22722 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
22723 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
22724 into its article buffer.
22726 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
22727 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
22728 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
22729 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
22730 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
22731 on successful article retrieval.
22734 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
22736 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
22737 making @var{group} the current group.
22739 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
22742 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
22745 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
22748 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
22749 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
22750 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
22751 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
22752 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
22753 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
22754 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
22755 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
22758 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
22759 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
22760 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
22764 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
22766 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
22767 a no-op on most back ends.
22769 There should be no data returned.
22772 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
22774 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
22777 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
22780 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
22781 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
22784 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
22785 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
22788 active-file = *active-line
22789 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
22791 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
22794 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
22795 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
22796 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
22799 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
22801 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
22802 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
22803 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
22804 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
22805 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
22806 clear if the posting could not be completed.
22808 There should be no result data from this function.
22813 @node Optional Back End Functions
22814 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
22818 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
22820 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
22821 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
22822 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
22824 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
22825 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
22826 former is in the same format as the data from
22827 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
22828 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
22831 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
22835 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
22837 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
22838 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
22839 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
22840 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
22841 should return the (altered) group info.
22843 There should be no result data from this function.
22846 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
22848 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
22849 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
22850 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
22851 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
22852 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
22853 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
22854 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
22855 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
22857 There should be no result data from this function.
22860 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
22862 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
22863 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
22864 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
22865 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
22866 propagate the mark information to the server.
22868 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
22871 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
22874 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
22875 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
22876 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
22877 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
22878 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
22879 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
22880 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
22881 possible, not limit itself to these.
22883 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
22884 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
22885 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
22886 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
22888 An example action list:
22891 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
22892 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
22893 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
22896 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
22897 mark on (currently not used for anything).
22899 There should be no result data from this function.
22901 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
22903 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
22904 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
22905 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
22906 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
22907 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
22909 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
22910 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
22911 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
22914 There should be no result data from this function.
22917 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
22919 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
22920 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
22921 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
22922 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
22923 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
22924 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
22925 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
22927 There should be no result data from this function.
22930 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
22932 The result data from this function should be a description of
22936 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
22938 description = <text>
22941 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
22943 The result data from this function should be the description of all
22944 groups available on the server.
22947 description-buffer = *description-line
22951 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
22953 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
22954 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
22955 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
22956 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
22957 in the active buffer format.
22959 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
22960 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
22961 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
22962 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
22963 many groups, so nnml and the like are probably safe. But for back ends
22964 like nntp, where the groups have been created by the server, it is quite
22965 likely that there can be many groups.
22968 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
22970 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
22972 There should be no return data.
22975 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
22977 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
22978 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
22979 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
22980 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
22981 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
22984 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
22987 There should be no result data returned.
22990 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
22993 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
22994 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
22996 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
22997 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
22998 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
22999 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
23000 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
23001 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
23003 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
23004 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
23007 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23008 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23010 There should be no data returned.
23013 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
23015 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
23016 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
23017 this function in short order.
23019 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23020 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23022 There should be no data returned.
23025 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
23027 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
23028 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
23030 There should be no data returned.
23033 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
23035 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
23036 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
23037 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
23039 There should be no data returned.
23042 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
23044 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
23045 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
23047 There should be no data returned.
23052 @node Error Messaging
23053 @subsubsection Error Messaging
23055 @findex nnheader-report
23056 @findex nnheader-get-report
23057 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
23058 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
23059 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
23060 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
23061 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
23062 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
23065 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
23067 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
23070 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
23071 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
23072 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
23073 takes one argument---the server symbol.
23075 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
23076 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
23077 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
23080 @node Writing New Back Ends
23081 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
23083 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
23084 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
23085 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
23086 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
23087 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
23090 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
23091 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
23092 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
23094 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
23095 package called @code{nnoo}.
23097 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
23098 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
23104 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
23105 parameters. For instance:
23108 (nnoo-declare nndir
23112 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
23113 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
23116 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
23117 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
23118 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
23120 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
23121 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
23122 a function in those back ends.
23125 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23126 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23127 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23130 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
23131 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
23132 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
23134 @item nnoo-define-basics
23135 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
23139 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23143 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
23144 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
23145 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
23147 @item nnoo-map-functions
23148 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
23149 functions from the parent back ends.
23152 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23153 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23154 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
23157 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
23158 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
23159 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
23160 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
23163 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
23164 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
23165 haven't already been defined.
23171 nnmh-request-newgroups)
23175 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
23176 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
23177 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
23182 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
23185 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
23186 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
23190 (require 'nnheader)
23194 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
23196 (nnoo-declare nndir
23199 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23200 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23201 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23203 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
23204 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
23207 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
23209 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
23210 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
23211 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
23213 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
23214 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
23216 ;;; Interface functions.
23218 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23220 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
23221 (setq nndir-directory
23222 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
23224 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
23225 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
23226 (push `(nndir-current-group
23227 ,(file-name-nondirectory
23228 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23230 (push `(nndir-top-directory
23231 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23233 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
23235 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23236 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23237 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23238 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
23239 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
23243 nnmh-status-message
23245 nnmh-request-newgroups))
23251 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23252 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23254 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
23255 @findex gnus-declare-backend
23256 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
23257 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
23258 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
23260 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
23261 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
23266 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
23269 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
23271 The abilities can be:
23275 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
23277 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
23279 This back end supports both mail and news.
23281 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
23284 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
23285 articles and groups.
23287 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
23288 true for almost all back ends.
23289 @item prompt-address
23290 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
23291 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
23292 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
23296 @node Mail-like Back Ends
23297 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
23299 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
23300 back ends is the heavy dependence by the mail back ends on common
23301 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
23302 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
23305 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
23306 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
23307 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
23310 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
23311 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
23314 This function takes four parameters.
23318 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
23321 @item exit-function
23322 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
23324 @item temp-directory
23325 Where the temporary files should be stored.
23328 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
23329 performed for one group only.
23332 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
23333 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
23334 find the article number assigned to this article.
23336 The function also uses the following variables:
23337 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
23338 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
23339 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
23340 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
23344 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
23345 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
23349 @node Score File Syntax
23350 @subsection Score File Syntax
23352 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
23353 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
23354 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
23356 Here's a typical score file:
23360 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
23367 BNF definition of a score file:
23370 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
23371 element = rule / atom
23372 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
23373 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
23374 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
23375 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
23377 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
23378 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
23379 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
23380 date-header = "date"
23381 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23382 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23383 score = "nil" / <integer>
23384 date = "nil" / <natural number>
23385 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
23386 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
23387 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
23388 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
23389 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23390 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23391 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
23392 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23393 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
23394 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
23395 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
23396 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
23397 exclude-files / read-only / touched
23398 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
23399 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
23400 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
23401 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
23402 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
23403 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
23404 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
23405 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
23406 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
23407 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
23408 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
23409 eval = "eval" space <form>
23410 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
23413 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
23416 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
23417 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
23418 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
23419 one looong line, then that's ok.
23421 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
23422 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23426 @subsection Headers
23428 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
23429 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
23430 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
23431 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
23433 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
23434 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
23435 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
23436 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
23437 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
23438 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
23439 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
23441 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
23442 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
23443 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
23444 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
23445 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
23447 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
23448 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
23454 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
23455 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
23457 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
23458 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
23459 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
23460 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
23462 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
23466 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
23469 is transformed into
23472 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
23475 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
23476 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
23479 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
23482 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
23483 is slightly tricky:
23486 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
23492 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
23495 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
23501 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
23508 and is equal to the previous range.
23510 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
23511 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
23512 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
23516 range = simple-range / normal-range
23517 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
23518 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
23519 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
23520 number *[ " " contents ]
23523 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
23524 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
23525 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
23526 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
23527 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
23532 @subsection Group Info
23534 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
23535 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
23536 describes the group.
23538 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
23539 second is a more complex one:
23542 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
23544 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
23545 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
23547 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
23550 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
23551 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
23552 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
23553 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
23554 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
23555 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
23556 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
23557 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
23558 this section is about.
23560 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
23561 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
23562 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
23564 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
23567 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
23568 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
23569 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23570 group = quote <string> quote
23571 ralevel = rank / level
23572 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23573 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
23574 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23576 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
23577 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
23578 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
23579 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
23582 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
23583 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
23586 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
23587 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
23590 @item gnus-info-group
23591 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
23592 @findex gnus-info-group
23593 @findex gnus-info-set-group
23594 Get/set the group name.
23596 @item gnus-info-rank
23597 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
23598 @findex gnus-info-rank
23599 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
23600 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
23602 @item gnus-info-level
23603 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
23604 @findex gnus-info-level
23605 @findex gnus-info-set-level
23606 Get/set the group level.
23608 @item gnus-info-score
23609 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
23610 @findex gnus-info-score
23611 @findex gnus-info-set-score
23612 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
23614 @item gnus-info-read
23615 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
23616 @findex gnus-info-read
23617 @findex gnus-info-set-read
23618 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
23620 @item gnus-info-marks
23621 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
23622 @findex gnus-info-marks
23623 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
23624 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
23626 @item gnus-info-method
23627 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
23628 @findex gnus-info-method
23629 @findex gnus-info-set-method
23630 Get/set the group select method.
23632 @item gnus-info-params
23633 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
23634 @findex gnus-info-params
23635 @findex gnus-info-set-params
23636 Get/set the group parameters.
23639 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
23640 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
23642 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
23643 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
23644 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
23645 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
23648 @node Extended Interactive
23649 @subsection Extended Interactive
23650 @cindex interactive
23651 @findex gnus-interactive
23653 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
23654 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
23655 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
23658 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
23659 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
23664 The best thing to do would have been to implement
23665 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
23666 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
23667 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
23668 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
23669 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
23670 @code{interactive}.
23672 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
23677 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
23678 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
23682 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
23683 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
23684 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
23687 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
23691 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
23695 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
23701 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
23702 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
23706 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
23707 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
23708 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
23710 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
23711 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
23712 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
23713 Gnus, that's very useful.
23715 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
23716 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
23717 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
23718 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
23719 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
23720 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
23721 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
23722 following function:
23725 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
23729 (,function ,@@args))
23733 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
23734 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
23735 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
23738 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
23739 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
23740 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
23742 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
23743 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
23744 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
23747 @node Various File Formats
23748 @subsection Various File Formats
23751 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
23752 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
23756 @node Active File Format
23757 @subsubsection Active File Format
23759 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
23760 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
23763 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
23766 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
23767 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
23768 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
23769 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
23770 no.general 1000 900 y
23773 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
23776 active = *group-line
23777 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
23778 group = <non-white-space string>
23780 high-number = <non-negative integer>
23781 low-number = <positive integer>
23782 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
23785 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
23786 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
23789 @node Newsgroups File Format
23790 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
23792 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
23793 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
23794 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
23797 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
23798 Here's the definition:
23802 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
23803 group = <non-white-space string>
23805 description = <string>
23810 @node Emacs for Heathens
23811 @section Emacs for Heathens
23813 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
23814 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
23815 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
23816 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
23817 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
23818 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
23819 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
23823 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
23824 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
23829 @subsection Keystrokes
23833 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
23836 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
23839 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
23840 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
23841 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
23842 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
23843 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
23844 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
23846 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
23847 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
23848 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
23849 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
23850 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
23851 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
23852 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
23854 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
23855 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
23856 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
23857 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
23858 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
23859 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
23860 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
23862 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
23863 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
23864 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
23865 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
23866 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
23872 @subsection Emacs Lisp
23874 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
23875 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
23876 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
23877 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
23879 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
23880 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
23881 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
23882 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
23883 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
23884 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
23885 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
23888 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
23889 write the following:
23892 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
23895 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
23896 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
23897 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
23900 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
23901 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
23902 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
23903 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
23904 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
23906 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
23907 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
23908 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
23912 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
23916 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
23919 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
23920 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
23923 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
23926 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
23927 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
23930 @include gnus-faq.texi
23950 @c Local Variables:
23952 @c coding: iso-8859-1
23954 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
23955 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
23956 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
23957 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
23958 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref